Modern Day Fantasy 8
by GoodGurl
Summary: [Complete]Chapter Epilogue: The Journey Ahead Epilogue from the girls' POV! THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO REVIEWED! hugs and kisses
1. Locked Memories

Note: Hi all! This is another one of those M series and this time, this takes place in Modern Time. Now, I don't know if any of you remembered the time when I wrote one where the FF8 gang were in college in which I accidentally erased ^_^;, but no worries, this will be an ever better one! This time, the gang are younger, a lot younger than you thought. Sixteen to be exact, but then again, Quistis and Seifer are both seventeen, while the others are sixteen. This story deals with peer pressure, abuse, and a lot of things teenagers deal with, so...... enjoy! Please r/r! Oh yah, it's also a Seiftis, Squinoa and Zelphie, yay! ^_^ Oh yah, in each chapter, there are stories for each character, dealing with their lives and then they'll eventually meet just like before too! The first chapter is about Quistis, of course, my favorite character and about her alcoholic father and about moving to a new place...etc. Just read!  
  
Modern Day Fantasy 8  
  
Chapter 1 - Locked Memories  
  
She couldn't blame him. It was her fault in the first place. It was her fault that every night he would come home, smelling of alcohol, his hair disheveled and his face dirty from pain and sorrow. It was her fault she died the instant she came into this world.   
  
The glass shattered into millions of pieces, leaving only a broken bottle left on the floor. She picked it up quickly and threw it in the garbage can. He wasn't like this all the time. He was a nice man before that bottle reached his blood. That bottle helped him and she was glad though. She had no other way to help him, but that bottle also destroyed their relationship like a father and daughter should have, but that was the only way. It was the only way to make him forget. But it didn't make him forget. It didn't make him forget of what she did to her mother. She had to die and she had to leave him behind to take care of her.   
  
"I wish you died instead of her!" he said outloud, the cool liquid drooling from the corner of his mouth. She let those words pass by her like air. She pretended to be a rock where no one could touch her or no one could penetrate the shell that covered her emotions and her hurt feelings everytime he said those words. She couldn't complain. He said those words many times and she was used to it. If she kept pretending that she didn't hear, then she wouldn't be hurt.   
  
Quistis picked up the remaining glass shard and threw the rest in the garbage can, then looked up to find him sitting on the dining room table, just staring into nothingness, while the bottle, still kept in between the palm of his hands, stood there, gazing at her. He looked sad again- the same look he'd given her everytime he stopped turning to the bottle. Before she could say anything, or ask anything, he lifted up the bottle to his lips and drank the last content inside, then put the bottle back down on the table. "Clean this place up," he said, standing up. "We're moving tomorrow."  
  
Confused, the blond girl, at age seventeen, watched her father leave the room and the bottle, abandoned on the table. "Moving?" she asked outloud, to no one in particular. What brought this up? Picking up the bottle, she gently put it inside a black garbage bag hanging from the cabinet of the sink, along with the other bottles full of memories and slowly tied the ends together. The bag was already full and it was time to throw this year's memories away.   
  
Outside was nice. The neighborhood itself, wasn't. She remembered the day when she turned two, the day her father started drinking, of their neighbors just standing outside, chatting and pointing to their home, especially her, telling each other of the 'weird' family living in that house. They were talking as if she couldn't see them. They spoke rumors of the father beating up his daughter every night, but it was no rumor after all. This must be why her father said they were moving, because he was sick and tired of the whispers of the neighbors, just pointing and staring at them as if they were invinsible.   
  
The girl sighed. There was no point in reminiscing now. She had to clean the place up before they move tomorrow. She wished though that he told her beforehand, so she knew how to pack and what to bring.   
  
After putting the bag inside the garbage dump, she walked back inside and made her way to her bedroom. The bedroom, small, yet comforting, was the only salvation from her father's anger. She would hide inside, lock the door, even though he would find a way to get inside and just pray to God that the beating would not be harder this time. There were times she wished she could just run away, but where to? She didn't know anyone else in the neighborhood and if she did, they would never give a damn about her. Just like the rich folks, they were snobs and could care less about her life. She would turn to her family, but then she wouldn't know how to get to San Fransisco. It was many miles away from her life here in Chicago, Illinois. Besides, she loved her father. He was a good father after all, if he was sober that is. Quistis pulled out her suitcase- her ONLY suitcase from underneath her bed and opened it up all the way. It was a long time since she used the luggage. It was getting moldy and dust was just settling inside. It was high time she got a new one, but if she asked her father about it, an argument between them would start brewing.  
  
The door suddenly opened. Startled, Quistis turned around to find her father standing there, hovering over like a hawk. "You're still not packed yet? Start packing!" He turned around and left the room quickly, slamming the door shut behind him. The girl closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he didn't do any drinking tonight. With his words still ringing in her ears, she ransacked her closet, pulling out all her clothes and quickly began folding them, throwing the ones she didn't wear anymore at the side and packing the ones she was going to wear. She glanced at her watch. It was only three in the afternoon, but there was no time wasting if they were going to leave early tomorrow for wherever they were going to move to. Once done packing her clothes, Quistis began her quest through the untouched top drawer of her dresser. In there, she kept her most precious things hidden from everyone, even her father. Despite his constant nosing around her room, she knew he would never dare look at the things that she kept close to her heart. Even before he started drinking, her father kept away, because that same drawer was used by her mother before she had her. It's been at least a year since the last time she looked.   
  
Quistis took a deep breath and approached the drawer cautiously. With shaking hands, she opened the top drawer and looked inside. Her mother's memories, along with her own were stacked together. An old, baby rattle that was passed on from generation to generation rolled towards her from the movement of the drawer, revealing its appearance as a rotten, but still perfectly healthy toy, shaped like maracas. A folded, knitted scarf that her mother made since she was sixteen, which was finished by the time she got pregnant, as explained to her by her father before he started drinking, was still soft as Quistis placed her palm against it. Inside as well, she found an empty photo album, the front saying, "Friends Forever." She often wondered whatever happened to the pictures that were inside. She could tell something was already in there, because of the creases and the thumb prints in them. Her mother probably wanted her to use it for her 'friends.' Quistis smirked at that thought. Friends? For sixteen years, the only friend Quistis has ever known was her worn out, stuffed animal bunny rabbit, which was older than her mother. She had to throw that away even, because she was getting allergic to it. If she had to find a friend, she had to be the most popular, or the most prettiest to be friends with anyone in a school where everything was a contest. She was pretty though. Her Aunt Charlotte, from her mother's side, who lived in Seattle, visited her one time, the nicest of all her relatives, told her that she was a pretty girl and she would end up being the prettiest out of the girls who made fun of her. She didn't believe it at first, but when she started looking at herself, as she grew up, she became aware of it. When high school came, all the boys would stare at her, probably because of her chest (she developed early then), or maybe it was because she WAS attractive. The girls would look at her with disgusted faces and would whisper to their friends about the girl with glasses. That's when Quistis knew her Aunt Charlotte was right. The girls began their jealous war with the girl who never had friends. However, despite that, she didn't find a real good friend. Boys were hard to be friends with, since all they cared about was making lip locks with someone, while the girls...the girls started rumors about her- terrible rumors that ruined her reputation as a sweet, intelligent girl, so she stepped away from it, isolating herself from everyone. The rumor that they spread, damaged her chance of being friends with anyone- even the ones who weren't popular themselves.   
  
"What the hell are you still doing in there?! Start packing already!" her father yelled through the door. She heard him slam his fists against the wooden door, startling her from her reverie. She nodded to herself and closed her eyes, picking up the scarf her mother made and closed the drawer, forgetting to look at the other items that were considered, 'her' memories.   
***************************  
She never expected to leave the house to untamed and clean. Once she finished packing, her father dragged her out the door and just drove off, without asking whether she forgot something or if she had to pee before they left. Quistis looked back at the house she has known all her life and ignored the neighbors who were staring out their windows, watching their 1975 beaten up black Cadillac, with its paint rusting off from the sides pull up from the driveway and drive off without a word. Her father and herself exchanged no glances towards each other, instead, she sat there, in the passenger seat, wondering in her mind where they were going, instead of asking him. She hated herself for having no will power to ask him anything. She hated herself for not being so brave. Without the help of her father, she had no confidence in herself. She has grown to wallow in self defeat and be the weakest person there was, but she knew she had to change. If they were to be in a place where confidence is needed, then she had to change her life, her attitude.   
  
"Where are we going?" she asked finally, finding the confidence. That the first conversation they had ever since they left for the road. They were driving along an intersection that went to Highway 25, a highway that led them, to what she believed, towards a border...but which one? She looked over her shoulder. The car swiveled smoothly in a curve, allowing the small suburb where her house was located, hidden from her view.   
  
Her father glanced quickly at her and sighed. "Seattle."  
  
Quistis' eyes glowed. Seattle? It was the most unexpected answer for her ears. Seattle was the last place, she knew, her father wanted to be.   
  
"You will stay with your Aunt Charlotte from now on. I found a job there too, so you can go to school there."  
  
Quistis said nothing. She didn't know what to think. Should she be glad now that she was staying with her favorite Aunt, who looked like she could be her sister, instead of her thirty year old Aunt? Or should she feel bad because it would take a long time for her to adjust to a new place? I mean, yes, she loved her Aunt dearly, but it was her first time moving from one place to another. "Oh," was all she could say.   
  
Their conversation stopped there. And for three long days of travel, that was the only conversation they ever had, before they arrived at their destination. She wasn't sure if it was three days. She was too sleepy to think straight or too dizzy from the humidity of the car. It was no wonder though. Seattle was steaming with heat. Summer was ready to take place there. The traffic in Seattle made it even worst. They had to wait two hours until the traffic died down, before they could smoothly drive down the street as she watched the tall buildings and the beautiful shops pass by. It was already night time when they got to the downtown area. Street lights were on and lights that hung from the trees on every street made the night even brighter, like it was Christmas all over again. Quistis watched people go by, couples holding hands, necking even, while groups of attractive young men and women hung out at a bar as she could see through the clean windows. The buildings were extraordinarily large and tall and Quistis had to crane her neck farther in order for her to find out how tall it was. She has seen many tall buildings all her life in Chicago, but it wasn't as tall as what she was seeing now.   
  
"They have such beautiful shops," Quistis spoke, surprising even herself for saying anything after the long journey of silence. She could sense her father looking at her from the corner of her eyes, then turned away quickly as if none of her words meant anything to him. Sighing, the blond girl looked back out the window and noticed a small building that read "The Book End," a cute little shop in between Wal Mart and Fred Meyer. The Book End was not packed, but she could see two or three people checking out books. She noticed one woman holding a paperback book, reading 'To Kill A Mockingbird.'   
  
The car turned a corner. Quistis watched the small bookstore drive by behind her, leaving her to wonder how many books the little store had. She could imagine many new and old books stacked in shelves neatly and a middle aged woman standing behind the counter, price tagging books that people were buying. Her mother loved books a lot, to what her Aunt Charlotte told her. She told her niece that Flora Meyers (her maiden name) had a favorite book that she bought from a store similar to The Book End and every night she would read it. Quistis couldn't quite remember what it was, but the story was about a girl in the 1800s who meets a boy from the future. "Tuck Everlasting," Quistis whispered out loud.  
  
"What?" Sean Trepe looked at his daughter and stared at her with a questioning gaze.  
  
Quistis shook her head and grinned. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking outloud again." She watched her father nod and turn his attention back on the wheel, his blue eyes scanning the streets, as if trying to remember where exactly Charlotte Meyers lived. Her father, Sean Trepe was once handsome. A blond haired, blue eyed jock who fell in love with a smart woman like Flora Meyers, a girl with round, thick glasses, who was the president of the Math Club and became the Student President of Klydesdale High in Salt Lake City, Utah. Aunt Charlotte, two years younger than her mother, told her that Flora wasn't all that attractive, but Sean Trepe eventually fell in love with the woman inside. They married after they graduated from high school and had a beautiful daughter. After Flora died, Sean lost his charm and good looks when he started drinking.   
  
She looked out the window once again. The drive from downtown to the quiet neighborhood of Haley Street was ten minutes, but Quistis felt it to be five seconds. Quistis must have been watching outside for too long and daydreaming that she didn't realize just how long the drive was. The car took another turn and by the time the first house came into view, Sean parked the car in the driveway where they were greeted by her Aunt. Quistis got out of the car first and gave her Aunt Charlotte a loving hug, before the woman pulled herself away from her niece to take a good look at how big she had grown.  
  
"My, Quistis! You've grown a lot the last time I saw you!" Charlotte spoke, smiling. She pulled her niece once again for another hug, before turning her attention towards Sean. "And Sean, look at you! You're still the same!"  
  
Quistis watched the glances her father and her Aunt exchanged. Her father had no reaction whatsoever to the greeting, as if he expected her to say those sarcastic words. Her Aunt Charlotte just gave him a smile, like they were old friends. The girl couldn't quite understand the relationship between her Aunt and her father. As far as she knew, it was a neutral one. They talked, they fought, but they were never that close to each other- just like brother and sister-in law.   
  
"Well come on in you two! We'll worry about the luggages later!" Charlotte took Quistis by the hand and pulled her inside the house, followed by her father. Her Aunt opened the front door to the house and allowed Quistis and her father inside. The blond girl expected the house to be quite small, just by looking at it from the outside, but the moment she stepped in, it was unlike what she thought it would be. It was bigger than she expected and much more comfortable than the apartment where her Aunt used to live in. The living room was divided by a hallway that led to the kitchen and the staircase was located just beside it, leading to the second floor. The thirty-seven year old, single mother, had a picture of herself and her fifteen year old son, Travis hanging on the wall above the fireplace of the living room. Quistis wondered if they had enough room for two more people for the rest of their lives if they were to live here? "So? What do you guys think of the place?" Charlotte asked, planting both her hands on her hips, looking at her brother in-law and niece.   
  
Quistis nodded and smiled. "It's very beautiful, Aunt," she commented.  
  
Charlotte winked at her. "Well of course! I was born as an interior decorator after all!"  
  
The blond girl smiled at her Aunt's jokes. "You're right!" She almost forgot that her Aunt worked as an interior decorator from a wealthy company known as Beautiful Living, that gives good wage to anyone who worked there. "Will you have room for the both of us?"  
  
Charlotte nodded. "Why, yes! Why do you think you came here in the first place?"  
  
"Are you sure it's all right, Charlotte?" Sean spoke up, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  
  
The woman looked at him and nodded again. "I said it was all right, Sean." She looked at Quistis. "I'm sure you're going to have a lot of fun staying here. The school is just a few minutes walk from here so you wouldn't have to worry about transportation."   
  
Suddenly, a sound of footsteps coming downstairs interrupted their conversation. All three heads looked up to see Travis Meyers coming down the stairs with large feet. Quistis couldn't remember the last time she saw her cousin. Maybe it was when she was ten and he... eight years old. He used to have no teeth in the middle. The boy ate a lot of candy during his childhood the last time she remembered and every year, a tooth had to be pulled out because of cavity. Now- it was different. Travis grew up to be a handsome boy with the eyes and face of his beautiful mother. His hair though, was sandy brown, unlike his mother's which was almost dark brown than anything else.   
  
"Travis, do you remember your cousin Quistis and your Uncle Sean?" Charlotte asked, putting an arm around her niece.  
  
"His Travis!" Quistis smiled, waving her hand.   
  
The boy looked at her, thinking for a second and when the memory of the blond girl with pig-tails appeared in his mind, he smiled and greeted her with a shake in the hand. It was, after all the only thing he could do, since it's been seven years without seeing each other. "Hi cuz, it's been a long time," he said awkwardly. He could see that she was attractive.  
  
Quistis smiled back and nodded. "It has been a long time. You've grown tall Travis- whatever happened to that short boy who loved to eat chocolate?"  
  
Travis blushed. "Well uh... he had to leave because chocolate was damaging his teeth."  
  
The blond girl laughed. She felt a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Travis, would you kindly help Quistis and Uncle Sean with their luggage please?" Aunt Charlotte asked her son.  
  
Travis nodded. "Sure, mom." He glanced back at his cousin. "Let's go cuz."  
  
Quistis smiled. "All right."  
************************************  
Adjusting to this new place was hard. The room that was given to her was much smaller than her old one, but she could tell her Aunt tried to make it cozy, by putting nice, colorful sheets for her bed, while the dresser drawer was painted burgundy, Quistis' favorite color. Her room was just across the hall from Travis' so she could just walk across from her room to his if she needed anything. Her father's room was downstairs, one that was used as a den by her Aunt's late husband, who died in a car accident. He wasn't Travis' father, but Travis and Mr. Gerald Codwell were like a family. Her and Travis got along pretty well, even after that awkward moment they shook hands when they first met from not being able to see each other. Travis made her feel welcome, treating her like his older sister and Quistis was glad to be living in the house. Tomorrow, Travis was going to walk with her to her new high school and show her around, which was no problem since he went there too.   
  
Her father, however, was a different matter. That night, just as Quistis was getting ready for bed, she heard him and her Aunt arguing about something. Sean Trepe was not getting along well with any of the two. With his temper, his drinking habits and his swearing, Aunt Charlotte could not tolerate that kind of behaviour, so they ended up arguing. They never really got along very well. Her Aunt Charlotte explained to her on why. It was because Sean Trepe and Flora Meyers eloped and told no one about it, except Charlotte, Flora's only sister. At first, Charlotte attempted to pursuade the couple to stay, which resulted in Sean and Charlotte's constant bickering. The Meyers' were not happy with the situation. Flora was pregnant with her daughter that time they left their home and the Meyers, especially the father was about to kill Sean for taking his daughter away. They never returned after that. The two ended up living in Chicago, where Flora died. Quistis never met her grandparents from her mother's side. As for her father's family, she never knew them. Basically, the only relative she knew close enough was her Aunt Charlotte and her cousin Travis.   
  
The argument eventually died down after twenty minutes. Quistis sighed a breath of relief and glanced at her clock beside her. It glowed 12:21 am. She needed to sleep, since she was going to school tomorrow, but she was too nervous to do anything, even sleep. She not only had to adjust to her new hone, she has to adjust to her new school- with new people- with kids her age who were going to look at her and stare at her and make fun of her.   
  
Taking another deep breath, Quistis forced herself to close her eyes and sleep and after a couple of minutes of trying to sleep, her body suddenly drifted to that state. 'School will be something tomorrow,' she thought, drifting in and out of sleep.  
****************************  
"Everyone, I'd like you all to meet, Quistis Trepe, who just moved here from Chicago," the teacher spoke.  
  
All eyes turned towards a blond haired, blue eyed student, who looked to be around five feet, six inches tall with round glasses. She was wearing a pink skirt and a matching pink shirt with black knee-high boots. Her hair was up into a messy bun, her own style. There was a few smirks and real smiles towards the girl. The girls, who looked like the 'popular' crowd, sitting in one side whispered to each other. One girl, with long auburn hair, looked at Quistis up and down, folding her arms across her chest. She gave Quistis a threatening look, one that the teacher missed, but Quistis just ignored that and obeyed the teacher to sit next to a girl with short brown hair, whom the teacher named, Selphie. She was lucky to be sitting with her, because by the time she did, Selphie gave her a big, warm smile and said, 'hello' to her, before she sat down.   
  
"Hi, my name's Selphie Tilmitt," the girl said.  
  
Quistis shook her hand, smiling. "Hello, I'm Quistis Trepe."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Quistis!" Selphie spoke, smiling.  
  
Quistis smiled wider, glad she could talk to someone. She felt something small hit the back of her head. The blond girl turned around and noticed the same girl with the auburn hair just smirking at her. "Don't worry about her," a voice came from her side. Quistis turned, face to face with a pretty girl with long dark hair. "She just likes taking pleasure in torturing other people, isn't that right, Brandy?" The girl looked up and gave the other girl a frown. Brandy turned away and made a simple snort, before turning her attention back to her friends. The girl with the dark hair smiled at Quistis and held out her hand. "My name is Rinoa Heartilly. I'm Selphie's friend."  
  
The blond girl shook the girl's delicate hand. She studied her for a moment and noticed how pretty she must be and popular. The way she was standing up to the Brandy girl, Quistis could tell Rinoa Heartilly was more than just a nice girl with pretty eyes. She could also have a boyfriend who was one of the jocks and that led you to a popular life in high school. Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to the classroom opened to reveal a handsome, tall blond male entering the room. Ms. Fisher, who was only in her early twenties, paused in the middle of reading the answers outloud to the homework that apparently had in algebra and looked up as the blond student walked in without a word.   
  
"Seifer Almasy," Ms. Fisher spoke with sterness in her voice. "Glad that you could join us." Although the teacher said those words, Quistis could tell there was no sarcasm in the way she said it. Seifer said nothing and casually walked pass her. Quistis watched his every move as he made his way to the first row to her right and watched him sit down on the empty chair just behind a girl with glasses thicker than hers. Quistis observed him for a moment. His hair was golden brown like hers and was slick back with what looked like to be just the way his hair does it. It didn't look like he was wearing any gel to keep it that way. The moment he stepped in the class, she noticed green eyes and way he walked, showed muscle underneath his grey trenchcoat. Quistis had no idea that she was staring at his for some time now, until Rinoa nudged her in the shoulders, with a wide grin on her face.  
  
"You just got here and already you're smitten with the rebellious Seifer?" Rinoa whispered in her ear.  
  
Quistis blushed and shook her head coyly, taking her eyes off of him. "What are you talking about? I was just wondering why he was late."  
  
Selphie giggled. "Sure, sure," she said, placing a hand on the blond girl's shoulder.  
  
"Is there a problem, Ms. Tilmitt?" Ms. Fisher said.  
  
Selphie looked up and grinned. "Not at all, Ms. Fisher."  
  
Rinoa and Selphie grinned at their teacher. Ms. Fisher gave them strange looks before she turned back to her book. Quistis shook her head shyly and when she was sure no one was looking, even her two new friends, the blond girl swiftly took a glance at the blond boy and turned red in the face when she noticed him looking at her with a curious expression. Quistis smiled and turned away, still having that same red coloring on her face. 'Great, the first day of class and already I'm embarrassed,' she thought.  
****************************  
"Hey Quistis could I speak to you for a moment?" Ms. Fisher said from her desk.  
  
"We'll meet you at the cafeteria," Rinoa said, waving good bye. Quistis nodded and watched as her two friends left her alone with the teacher.  
  
Ms. Fisher looked up and smiled, waiting until Quistis stepped in beside her. "I was able to look at the records from your previous school in Chicago. You had very impressive results from your Math class- the top student there."  
  
Quistis shrugged. "Yeah. I do my homework and study, it's no big deal."  
  
Ms. Fisher laughed. "I like your attitude. Have you ever done math tutorials before?"  
  
The blond girl nodded. "Yes, I have."  
  
"Well, then I guess I don't have to convince you to teach one of your classmates from Math class?"  
  
Quistis thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right, I wouldn't mind."  
  
Ms. Fisher smiled and nodded. She gathered all her papers in her hands and stood up. "Good. He's going to be coming in this class afterschool today. You don't mind starting today?"  
  
Quistis shook her head.  
  
"Okay, I'll see you then. Have a good lunch," Ms. Fisher said before leaving the classroom. Quistis followed her out the door and the teacher closed the door behind her, waved good bye to her student, then left. The blond girl watched her go and when she was completely gone, she turned to the direction of the cafeteria to look for her friends there. When she arrived, she was greeted by a young man riding on a skateboard, bumping into her like she was invinsible. Quistis was able to balance herself, instead of falling on her butt. She looked around the area for Selphie and Rinoa and found them sitting just a few tables from where she was standing, close to the middle of the cafeteria. There was a handsome young man with wavy brown hair sitting beside Rinoa dressed in a black leather jacket, so the girl seemed preoccupied at the moment for her to see Quistis there. However, Selphie saw her and called her name, waving her hand as if she couldn't see where they were. Quistis waved her hand back and without a word, turned around and walked the other direction to buy her lunch from the counter. It took her a couple of minutes until she finally picked a chicken wrap with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise and of course, chicken inside. She placed the wrap on her tray and picked a medium sized carton of chocolate milk for her drink, before paying for them both. The cafeteria was getting crowded and by the time she was finished purchasing her lunch, it was difficult for her to get through without bumping into anyone. She gently pushed her way through the crowds and was almost at the table, when something hit her foot. Quistis fell foreward, but because she used to be in the baseball team, she caught her chicken wrap with one hand, while the chocolate milk with the other. She quickly turned around to prevent her face from hitting the floor and landed on her butt on the cement. Quistis closed her eyes in pain and around her, she began to hear shouts of laughter.   
  
"Did you catch that on film, Gerri?" a voice spoke. Quistis opened her eyes and noticed a couple of people staring down on her with smiles on their faces. Brandy, the one who asked Gerri about the film, just stared at her as she sat on her table. She casually ate her sandwich and was trying not to laugh at Quistis' mishap.   
  
The one named Gerri, with dark hair tied back into a ponytail was sitting across from her, holding a camera in her hand. She nodded at Brandy's question and looked at Quistis, laughing. "Oh yeah. Jackass will have a time of their lives watching this."  
  
Quistis couldn't move. She was frozen in fear and embarrassment. She just sat there on the floor, her hands filled with the food she bought with her money. She closed her eyes. She was beginning to think nothing bad was going to happen to her, but now THIS happens. Why do people have to make other people's lives miserable?  
  
"The Great Quistis Trepe has fallen. So, you think you can show me off now?" Brandy looked at the blond girl straight in the face this time. "You and your stupid Math mark...." she mumbled.  
  
The blond girl understood now. Brandy was angry with topping her score at the math pop quiz they had this morning. She was popular not only because of her looks, but because she was the smartest girl in Math- until Quistis came along. Is that how she does it? Embarrass someone just because she was better than her?   
  
"Not everyone is stupid, McFadden..." a deep voice spoke from behind.  
  
The people who were watching her on the floor and just laughing, seem to be frightened when the voice spoke. They backed away from Quistis, giving her some room and a firm hand held it out towards her. Quistis looked up and noticed the same blond boy she met earlier. She took his hand and he helped her up on her feet. The blond girl whispered a 'thanks,' before picking up her tray quickly. She was later joined by Rinoa, the young man and Selphie.  
  
"Quistis!" Selphie yelled, wrapping her arms around the taller girl. "Are you all right?"  
  
The blond girl nodded. "Yes, I'm okay." Quistis turned around, expecting the blond boy there, but Seifer Almasy was already gone. Brandy glared at her and stood up, leaving her unfinished sandwich behind. Her 'minions' followed her like puppies, ones that consisted mostly of girls and all eight of them, including Brandy, left the cafeteria without another word towards the blond girl.  
  
"Why I oughta..." Selphie stomped her foot angrily, taking a step towards the direction Brandy left as if to go after her, but not before that same young man stopped her just in time. Selphie looked up, wondering who it was that stopped her and noticed that young man shaking his head.  
  
"Just let them go, Selph," the boy spoke.  
  
Selphie sighed. "But..."  
  
The boy looked at the blond girl. "She said she was okay, so you don't need to go after them and cause trouble."  
  
Selphie glanced at Quistis. "What happened?"  
  
Quistis shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore. Let's go eat our lunch." She quickly glanced around for Seifer, but he was nowhere to be found.   
  
GoodGurl: WOOH! That was long! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter about Quistis and her life. Next chapter will be about...Seifer and his life! Yeay! I hope I didn't bore any of you with this chapter! I'm sure I didn't! :D Please r/r! 


	2. Through His Eyes

Note: OOOOHH I am so glad many of you reviewed the first chapter! I feel so special! Heh heh, I know my grammar sucks, but don't get me wrong, I love to write, even though I'm not best at it,. but u know, some of the best writers out there make mistakes and weren't that good before either, but overtime they improved! Anywayz, you can probably guess whos story is coming next! That's right! My one and only Seifer baby! ^_^ hee hee! Seifer's story is obviously different than Quistis' because it deals with his parents and his personality. Enjoy! ^_^  
  
Chapter 2 - Through His Eyes  
  
"I'm home! Mom? Dad?" He closed the door behind him and looked around an empty living room. Normally he wouldn't care how quiet the house was, but he felt that there was something different about this day than any other days and he couldn't help but feel this negative feeling in his heart.   
  
"Son, we're in the kitchen," came his father's voice.  
  
With a curious expression, the tall, fifteen year old boy walked across the living room, leaving his backpack on the floor by the front door and made his way into the kitchen, where his parents were. His mother was sitting across from his father, their faces filled with so much sadness. At the same time, they both looked up at the sound of his heavy footsteps entering the kitchen. His mother, a beautiful woman in her early thirties, blond and blue eyed, attracted so many of his male teachers when she first came to the parent/teacher interviews at school, while his father, a balding, yet gentle man in his early forties, did not. Both of them had decent jobs- Lynette, was a jewelry store owner down near Olympia, so she drives there almost every two hours every morning. His father, Bryan, was an engineer for an oil company located in downtown Seattle.   
  
The young blond looked at both his parents, fearing the worse. "What's going on?" he finally asked, finding his voice after a couple of seconds.  
  
Lynette was the first one to speak up to her son. She pulled a chair beside her and patted the seat for her son to sit. Seifer obeyed and sat down, his eyes still holding that curiosity. His blond mother wrapped an arm around him and looked at his father. "You're father and I, Seifer are... we're getting a divorce."  
  
Seifer felt his blood run cold. That's impossible! "No way... what are you talking about? You and dad love each other," Seifer said, glancing at his father.  
  
Bryan shook his head. "No, we don't Seifer. Not anymore."  
  
"But that's impossible!" The blond boy stood up quickly, looking at his parents. "You both fight all the time! That's natural for parents to do!"  
  
"Arguing all the time doesn't really mean we love each other, Seifer," Lynette replied, taking his hand in hers. "We..."  
  
"NO!" Seifer yelled, interrupting his mother. "You're lying aren't you? This morning, you were hugging and kissing! I saw you two! I saw it with my own eyes!"  
  
"That's because we didn't want you to worry about it too much before you went to school. We wanted to tell you when you got home," his mother said.  
  
Seifer shook his head. Was it possible to have a really bad news like this?! He jerked his hand away from his mother and backed away from the table, shaking his head in denial. "No, this is a dream... I'm going to wake up and..." He looked up and saw his parents shaking their heads. It was no dream... He was getting confused. They were happy! They're a happy family! Why did it have to come to this? "I hate you!" Seifer yelled, his voice, stern and weak at the same time. The blond closed his mouth finally and ran out of the kitchen, hearing the cries of his parents calling his name. Seifer ran through the living room, ignoring his parents' pleas for him to stay, picked up his backpack and ran out the door, without hesitation.   
  
Outside, he ran... and ran... like there was no tomorrow.   
  
He ran, hoping he was dreaming.  
  
He will wake up and find it to be a dream.  
  
Yes... it was a dream.  
  
A dream.  
  
He'll wake up and find himself in bed in the early morning. He will find his parents sitting in the kitchen, laughing at each other's jokes, just having a time of their lives. He will find them eating breakfast together and he will join them and he will enjoy breakfast together... just like a perfect family.  
  
Seifer ran, taking a turn towards an alley that led to his hideout he used when he was just a boy. Him and his best friend, Wade would hide in that old, large tree where its base, with a large hole in the middle could be used as a fort. They would hide there and wait until dark, until they had to go in for dinner. It was also their salvation to the problems they were facing at school or at home. Wade's parents were divorced when he was six and he would still reminisce that time his father left, leaving him behind to stay with his mother. His father later came back and asked for the custody of his son. Eventually, his mother won, but it didn't mean his father didn't have a chance to spend time with him. He saw his father every other weekend or on holidays, but Wade was never used to the idea since the beginning. It was really hard. At times, his mother wanted him at holidays or weekends when she needed him and it resulted to his parents fighting all over again, just like before.  
  
"You're lucky, Seifer. You have parents who love each other," Wade once said.  
  
Seifer smirked at that thought, running faster now. "Yes, they really love each other all right," he spoke outloud to himself. He believed that for the longest time, until now... until that news hit him like a disease, gnawing at his chest. No matter what his parents say, he will never come home. He will never say good bye to what he knew as a 'perfect' family.   
  
When he arrived, the tree was still there. It has been five years since he last visited the fort. The tree was still dying, but it was still holding itself up, as if it knew that he was coming tonight. Seifer paused on top of the dirt that collected itself like a large hill and stared at nothing, thinking about what happened today. Angrily, he looked up, his attention still at nothing and clenched his fists. With one, unthinkable act, Seifer lifted up one hand and punched the tree as hard as he could, his right fist starting to bleed. But, it didn't matter, as Seifer punched the same spot with the other hand. He punched again, alternating between his fists, tears bursting out of his eyes like a water dam.   
  
"I HATE YOU!" he yelled at nothing in particular. With every punch he took, he chanted, "I HATE YOU!" over and over again. He imagined the tree to be his father or his mother, or just anyone who was the cause for their unhappiness. He even saw his own face. Maybe it was his fault they weren't happy.   
  
Again, he punched, his hands starting to bleed faster.   
  
Seifer stopped suddenly and looked at his hands. It wasn't blood. It was the old tree. It was the old tree's tears, crying for him- for the unhappiness that began this day. The blond backed away. He could hear the cries of the tree, asking him, 'Why are you blaming me?' He backed away some more, until he felt another tree against his back. He slid down until he felt the cold, mud touching his rear and he sat there, his mind still on his parents. Without second thought, Seifer buries his face in his hands and wept.   
*****************************************  
"Seifer, where are you going?" She must have heard him come down the stairs. Seifer paused and turned around, noticing his mother and a stranger coming towards him. "Don't go anywhere. I'd like you to meet someone." Lynette turned to the man and smiled. "This is Robert, Seifer. He's a friend of mine from work."  
  
Seifer looked up, his face serious, but his mother was unaware of it. The older man held out his hand to shake his. Lynette's son examined the stranger in the house standing there in front of him. He was attractive for his age yes, but he knew Robert McFadden was much more than a 'friend from work.' The man looked to be in his early forties as well, the same age as his father and he was tall and had auburn, wavy hair. Seifer noticed the shirt he was wearing used to be what his father wore. It took him a few seconds to study him and Robert waited patiently to shake his hand.  
  
"Hi, Seifer, your mother told me a lot about you!" Robert spoke.   
  
"Seifer? Aren't you going to shake his hand?" his mother spoke.  
  
Lynette's son looked at the man straight in the eyes this time and when he could no longer look at him anymore, Seifer turned, rebuffing the greeting and left without a word. His mother called after him, but Seifer just ignored her calls and by the time he made it to the front door, Lynette had already given up with him. The seventeen year old closed the door behind him and paused by the front door, then leaned his head against the cold wood, hoping to hear his mother walking towards the door to make an effort to get him, but he heard none. Angry at her for not caring, Seifer gritted his teeth in annoyance and walked away, kicking their old mailbox made by his father when he was young in the way and walked away. He glanced at his watch. It was eight in the morning, just few minutes before his school started. He was going to be late, but his mind was still on that man who was staying at his house. He was the third man to ever visit his house, his mother's third date and the third man to ever sleep with her. Seifer clenched his fists at his sides, kicking another rock out of his way and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Since the divorce two years ago, his mother had given up on her work, instead she's been sleeping with most of the men she either meets on the street, or from bars or just from the new jewelry store she works for. Robert was her third parking. Before that, there was Clyde McFadden, whose daughter happened to be Brandy McFadden, the bitchiest girl ever to live on earth, or in the universe for that matter. Before, they never knew each other, until his mother started dating her father and when Clyde and Lynette broke off their relationship, Brandy has never been annoying. She kept telling Seifer that his mother was to blame for her father's unhappiness. But after a few months, Brandy never bothered him again. He figured her father must have found someone else.   
  
Seifer turned towards Haley Street. A black oldsmobile, that looked like it needed repairs, drove by him. It was the first car he's never seen around this area, so that knowledge jump started his curiosity. The blond broke his mind from the recent man who was now banging his mother and looked through the back window of the car as it parked to the driveway of a house he's seen a couple of times when he walked to his school and back. Travis Meyers lived in that house, with his single mother, who babysat him when he was little. Because of that, when Charlotte became pregnant with Travis, her and his mother became close. Lynette would give advice to Charlotte and offered to help her with his birth. Seifer was only two when Travis was born at four o'clock in the morning on October 3rd, 1987 at the Almasy resident. Charlotte was still babysitting Seifer then when her water broke. He had called the ambulance and then his mother from work and it resulted in a commotion in the house. But Charlotte pratically became his own mother when Lynette and Bryan got a divorce, leaving their bewildered son to run away to the Meyers house. Charlotte was the one who convinced the pissed off fifteen year old Seifer to go home to his family, despite his protests.   
  
Charlotte was already outside, waiting until a girl with blond hair and a grown man, probably her father, got out of the car. He could hear Charlotte's excited voice, "My, Quistis! You've grown a lot the last time I saw you!" Seifer watched as the girl gave Charlotte a hug. She looked at be around his age as well, but from where he was standing, she looked tall and skinny and was wearing a cute baby blue sundress. He glanced at the man. The father had no reaction to the greeting, but Charlotte didn't seem to care much about him. The woman took the girl's hand and pulled her along inside the house, followed by the man. Seifer watched them leave and when he didn't see them anymore, he sighed and turned to the direction of the school. Ms. Fisher was going to have another fit, he thought. He better go.  
******************************************  
He woke up once again with the same noise from downstairs. He heard heavy footsteps beneath him and a lighter one. He also heard voices, one of a deeper tone and one of a high pitched tone. The deep voice did not sound like 'Robert' from yesterday. Seifer rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand lazily and waited until the noises died down. He glanced at his watch. He only had ten minutes until school started. He wanted to go back to sleep and forget about going to school, when his mother's high pitched voice alerted him from his thoughts.  
  
"I told you to leave me alone, Fred! It's over!"  
  
"You stupid bitch! You think you can just sleep with me and then kick me out the next day?!"  
  
Then, he heard it. A hard slap on the face. He could hear the heavy footsteps advanding to the lighter ones and his mother trying to calm him down. Seifer got up quickly, dressed only in his white t-shirt and boxers and ran down the stairs to find his mother trying to ward off the advancing Fred, his arms around her, attempting to...rape her! Seifer ran quickly, pushing Fred with all his might off of his mother and threatened him with his fists. "You back off asshole!" he yelled, pushing his mother aside.  
  
"Seifer, it's all right, I'm fine," Lynette told her son.  
  
Seifer ignored her request, his eyes trained on Fred. Fred grinned, locking eyes with his lover's son. "Well, aren't you the brave soldier to stand up for your mother." The man looked younger this time, maybe in his late thirties, the only one of the three men so far to be the same age as his mother and had dark, dark, messy hair that looked like it hadn't been combed for centuries.   
  
"You hit her again or I swear I'll kill you!" the blond spoke.  
  
"Seifer, really..."  
  
"Stop this mother! Don't defend an asshole like him! You've gone far enough already with these men."  
  
Lynette looked down on the ground shamefully. "I know... Seifer, I want you to go. You'll be late for school."  
  
Angrily, Seifer tried to grab the man's shirt collar, but Fred was quick enough to notice his move and he was able to get away from his threat. Fred advanced forward, but Seifer noticed that as well. The older man was only able to take hold of his shoulder and squeeze it. Seifer retaliated by slapping his hand away from him, then grabbed the man by the shirt collar, this time, overpowering the man with his taller form. He pulled the man closer to him so he could tell him straight on in his face. "I tell you again, you bastard! If you touch my mother ever again, I'm going to run you over with my gun that's sitting in my room!" he whispered in his ear. With his last ounce of strenght, Seifer pulled the man towards the door and pushed him out of the house as hard as he could. Fred fell hard on his butt on the ground, but he quickly stood up and casually brushed dirt from his shirt.  
  
"Well, I guess our date is over. Sorry about what I did to you, Lynette. I guess I got carried away," Fred spoke.  
  
"I'll bet!" Seifer said, sneering at him, standing by the door and blocking it.  
  
Fred looked at him, turned and walked away, Seifer's threat working. The blond man stood there until he was sure Fred was gone and when he was, he turned around to find his mother with an angry face, but Seifer did not tolerate that kind of behaviour from her. She was acting like a naive high school girl sleeping with any man who charmed her. "Mother, what the hell are you doing defending him like that?!"  
  
"You have no right to butt in my personal life Seifer! I knew how to handle men like him!"  
  
"YOUR personal life?! You're my mother! Why wouldn't I?!"  
  
"I didn't butt in yours so why should you butt in mine?!" Angrily, Lynette turned and walked away without another word. Seifer watched her enter and kitchen. Sighing, he walked back up the stairs to get ready for school. There was no point in him trying to reconcile with the stubborn woman. School was the other thing he held close to him. It didn't cause him any problems, even though he was failing in it. At least the teachers and the friends he knew there would understand him better than his mother ever would.  
********************************  
School had already started by the time he made it inside the building. All the students were already inside their respected rooms, getting ready to start class. The halls were quiet once again, but he was used to that. He saw it every morning he came to school. Seifer walked through the quiet hallway and watched rooms go by as he passed each and every one of them. Math was his first class of the day and even though it wasn't his favorite subject, it helped him forget the problems he had at home. He used to be smart in that class. When he started high school, he used to get at least a B average in all his Math classes, but when he was told two years ago, that night he came home from football practice, that his parents were getting a divorce, his thoughts were always on that night and he lost all his concentration from Math and his grades went from an average B to a low C-. His teachers asked him about what was going on at home, because they assumed that that was the result of his falling grades and they were right. Seifer didn't answer them, however. He would just walk away from their questions and ignored the requested appointments the math teachers wanted to set him up with. He was always late, always getting into trouble for loitering in the halls when class resumed and he always had detentions after school. That was his only way keep himself from heading home. He didn't like going home. He always went home late, close to midnight and his mother wouldn't care. His father wouldn't even care either, to what he was told by his mother. Apparently, Bryan Almasy got married to a rich woman down in Cincinatti about a year ago and has a baby with her. That news reached his ears when there was a message on the telephone left by his father. Seifer thought about that. He would rather live with his father, than be with his sex-crazed mother who wouldn't give a damn about him. He was angry with his mother when he found out that his father did actually write to him. He found the letter in the trash can when he was ready to throw out the garbage. It was addressed to his mother, but his father also wrote something for him on a different kind of paper, one that was written with thought and love. Seifer hadn't had a chance to read the whole thing, because the rotting banana in the garbage can had already smudged some parts of the letter. He hadn't been able to forgive his mother about that since then and despite his mother's protests not to write him, Seifer wrote to his father anyway. He kept his last name as Almasy, because he refused to be called Lynette, the 'whore' Walker. Besides, Almasy suited him well.  
  
Seifer paused by the doorway outside his classroom, took a deep breath and opened the door. Ms. Fisher looked up from reading a math question and all the students present stared at him as he entered the room. "Seifer Almasy, glad you could join us." The blond ignored the stern words by his teacher and walked to his usual desk by the corner of the room. He heard whispers from somewhere, but he ignored that. He knew it was Rinoa and Selphie and that new girl that he didn't get a chance to take a good look at, because he was too busy with his own thoughts to notice. He heard a giggle from one of the girls, but he just ignored that as well.  
  
"Is there a problem Ms. Tilmitt?" came Ms. Fisher's voice. Seifer glanced at the three girls, taking a chance on examining the new girl that he missed in the first few minutes of class. The girl looked shy and she seemed familiar to him somehow. Selphie and Rinoa turned back to their books, trying not to laugh as Ms. Fisher continued with her lesson. The blond girl looked around, waiting for something and when she glanced up towards him, their eyes met. Seifer was trying to place the memory in his mind on where he's seen her before, but before he could guess any further, the new girl blushed and turned her eyes away from him. Seifer turned back around, the memory finally coming back to him after a couple of minutes that the new girl was indeed that girl he saw yesterday with her father and Charlotte.  
*****************************  
Lunch was one of his favorite hour, even if it was just forty minutes. He liked to walk around the school, just breathing in air and just imagine being alone while watching the soccer field in the distant. Just beyond that, there was a small forest, where some of the kids, who are outcasts in their lives, hang out, just putting the popular kids down for their own sake. Maybe it was their way to reach happiness, away from high school. High school was always the downfall of everyone's lives, even when ur a popular student, but for Seifer- it was different. High school was his only salvation from his broken home. The only thing he despised about high school was the division between the so-called 'popular' kids and the outcasts.   
  
Seifer walked through the quiet forest and listened to the birds chirping somewhere on one of the trees. The usual people that hung out in there was not present a the moment, but for one, Seifer was glad he was alone. He needed time to think about what to do with his mother and her 'pride.' Maybe he shouldn't be part of her life. Maybe she didn't need him anymore, after all... he was turning eighteen soon and he was going to graduate... IF he ever graduates. The words from Ms Fisher came back into his mind. "You need this tutorial if you are to pass this class, Seifer," she had told him before class ended. "I will ask one of the students to help you with your problems." Ms. Fisher glanced over his shoulder, looking at someone who was still in the room, but Seifer didn't want to know whom she chose to be his tutor. Having one was just a waste of time. He knew how to get out of situations and he always got out of them with no complications.   
  
"Thank you for your concern, Ms. Fisher, but I don't think I need anyone's help with math," he had replied to her then.  
  
"I understand that you don't want this, but I insist that you take this chance. Don't you want to apply to a good college?"  
  
The blond sighed deeply. This was the same conversation over and over again, but this time, the young teacher was persistent. She must have thought of someone who will tutor him already and must have been thinking this was his last chance. "I'll think about it," he finally said.   
  
"I think you should take this, but I don't want to push you. I'll give you until after school and then you can come to this class and let me know before three."  
  
Seifer nodded. He left the class quickly, without saying good bye to his teacher or taking a short glance towards her, wondering if she wanted him so bad to take the tutorial after school. Maybe it would be a good idea. After all, what was he going to do when he graduates? His father offered a room for him in Cincinatti... maybe he can apply to a college there. If his mother didn't want him to butt in her personal life, maybe she didn't want him in her life anymore? It would be good for both of them to stay away from each other just for a while and blow off some steam somewhere else. The blond sighed, stuffing his hands in his trenchcoat pockets. A chill wind jumped his from his thoughts and forced him to think about leaving the forest and walking back inside the warm building. His stomach was also warning him to go back inside and get something to eat. With that thought, he quickly marched out through the small wooded area and jumped down from the high ground and into lower ground. He walked casually through the back terrace and through the doors that led to the cafeteria.   
  
The cafeteria was packed as usual, with students and some of the teachers who would rather eat with the kids than with other teachers at the lounge. The long tables were full of noisy eight graders and ninth graders, who were in that stage where they hung out mostly with people their age and would chat endlessly.. girls about boys and boys about girls. Seifer found it annoying sometimes to think about women. Some of the women in high school were either too stubborn, high strung or just plain stupid or naive for him. Some girls from the younger grades already took highly of him. He noticed girls looking at him with dreamy eyes, but he would ignored them. Some girls, however, looked at him, scared and they would end up hiding behind their friends everytime he passed by. He couldn't really remember the first time people started running away from him. Maybe it was that time when he threatened Bobby Hill to keep away from James Kyle who was being mistreated. He took the scared Bobby Hill behind the school and 'chatted' with him. Those who were watching them leave the hallway must have thought he beat the young boy badly and that rumor spread like wildfire when Bobby Hill stopped going to school. The truth to that was... Bobby Hill just moved away because his dad found a nice job down in California.   
  
"Did you catch that on film, Gerri?" came Brandy's irritable voice. Seifer frowned, wondering what kind of trouble Brandy was in now? He pushed his way through the crowd that gathered around a table where Brandy and her friends sat. He noticed a young woman sitting on the floor. Seifer gritted his teeth, knowing full well who it was on the floor. He hated it when people pushed others around just because a person topped the other with their stupid math marks. No one seemed to notice him watching, so he continued to stand there, until he found the right moment to butt in. "The Great Quistis Trepe has fallen. So, you think you can show me off now?" Seifer grimaced when Brandy kneeled down beside the girl and stared her down with her cold eyes. "You and your stupid math mark..." There was a roar of laughter from Brandy's friends and those who want to be her friend.  
  
Seifer couldn't take it anymore. He pushed a young man out of the way roughly and walked through the crowd. Those who saw him coming, whispered to each other and backed away from the crowd, giving him room to walk through. "Not everyone is stupid, McFadden," he spoke outloud. The wave of people began to diverge from each other, while Seifer began walking towards the commotion.   
  
Brandy looked up quickly, knowing full well who it was. Seifer neared the two and he held out his hand towards the blond girl. The girl looked up shyly and took his hand. He quickly glanced at Brandy and glared at her with his green eyes. It was as if a shock of some sort penetrated through the auburn haired girl when she began to stand up. The blond girl mumbled a 'thank you' to him, but Seifer didn't take the time to focus on the girl, because he wanted to leave right away. He didn't want anyone to watch him. He hated it when everyone watched. It was stupid of him to help the girl. He didn't know why he helped people. Frankly, he didn't give a damn about the people he was helping, but the one thing he hated were bullies picking on weaker kids. He used to be one of those weaker kids, one who was usually picked on during elementary school. He was scrawny and had lots of hair, but as he grew up, he learned to be tough so those who picked on him could see how tough he was now. If he stayed longer in the cafeteria, people will start rumors about it. So, he turned around and walked out of the cafeteria, giving cold glares to those who dared to stop him from leaving. He glanced behind him, wondering where Brandy was and found her leaving the other way with her friends, whom he preferred to call, her 'dogs,' because they followed her around like the four legged creaturs. Smirking, Seifer walked pass a blond jock who was sitting alone in the hallway, doing something that Seifer couldn't tell what, but the blond just ignored him and decided to go home first and come back later...   
  
For the math tutorial.  
  
GoodGurl: Wooh! There, finished! Yeay! Hail to Seifer Almasy!!!!!! Hah hah! Isn't he so cool in this fic? I mean he still has that 'don't touch me or i'll kill you, look,' but still has the kind, rebellious guy whom we know and love! ^_^. U must be wondering who's next? Well, you're just gonna have to wait and see!!!!! 


	3. Remember Childhood

Note: Hi y'all! You must love Modern Day so much! Hee hee! Anywayz, you'll have to guess who is the next character is going for third chapter, because I don't feel like telling! Heh heh! ;) Well, here it is!  
  
Chapter 3 - Remember Childhood   
  
"Heeeeyyyy!" A little girl, around the age of ten, appeared from behind the bushes, tackling a little boy, startled. The little girl giggled, pinning down the boy on the ground and started tickling him. The boy couldn't stop laughing and when he couldn't take it any longer, he found a way to get away from her assaults and stood up quickly, before running away from the shorter girl. "Where you goin'?" the girl asked.  
  
The boy laughed, stopped, then turned around, running after the girl this time. "My turn!" the boy yelled. In his hands, he held a water gun. The water gun, though small, could still reach the little girl. The boy was also pretty fast at running, so he had a chance to squirt the little brunette's back.  
  
The girl gasped and started running away from the blond boy's retaliation. She felt the cold water touching her back. The boy caught up to her and tried tackling her as gently as possible, but the girl didn't know where she was going and she ended up tripping on a log and she fell on the ground, twisting her ankle. The girl turned around, grasping her ankle and began to cry.  
  
The boy ran upto her and kneeled by her side, watching her holding her ankle. "Does it hurt?" he asked, putting a hand on the girl's right ankle.  
  
The girl winced at the pain, nodding her head. "Yes."  
  
The blond shook his head and began to laugh. "Come on, it doesn't hurt!"  
  
"It does so!" the brunette replied, frowning. She touched her ankle again, but she yelped in pain. A damn of tears began to fall from her eyes  
  
"Okay, okay..." The boy stood up, turned around and kneeled back down. "Here, I'll take you home on my back," the boy offered.  
  
The girl wiped her nose and looked up at her friend. "Really?" she asked, sniffling.  
  
Her friend nodded. "Yeah. Come on, hurry up! You're mom's going to be worried about you if you went home by yourself limping." He went closer towards her so she didn't have to do any moving and held out his hands for her to take. "I promise from now on, that we help each other whenever we need it." He held out his right pinky at her.  
  
With her own pinky, Selphie hooked hers with Zell's and stared at their fingers intertwined. "I promise too," she replied.  
  
The girl smiled, taking her hands in his and pulled herself up quickly. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and with all his might, her best friend pulled her up, while she struggled to wrap her legs around his waist. With no hesitation, the boy began to carry her back towards the direction of the Tilmitt house. Selphie rested her head on his back and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of her best friend. "Thank you, Zelly..." she whispered.  
  
Zell blushed. "No problem. Didn't we promise each other just now, we would help each other out? I mean, we're best friends aren't we?"  
  
Selphie nodded slowly. "Yeah...best friends."  
  
"Zelly?" Selphie whispered in his ear.  
  
"Yes, Selphie?"  
  
Without thinking, Selphie leaned forward slightly and kissed Zell on the cheek. "Thank you."  
  
Zell blushed, saying nothing, embarrassed by the kiss she gave him. Selphie giggled, realizing the red colourings on his face. "Don't worry, Zelly! We're best friends! A kiss on the cheek just mean we're best friends, not lovers!"   
  
The blond boy nodded. "Okay..."  
  
They arrived at her house a half an hour later. They were greeted by Selphie's older brother, Cameron, who ran quickly towards them. With worried eyes, Cameron, looked at Zell's tired face and glanced at his little sister, who had her eyes closed. "What happened?!" Cameron asked.  
  
Zell glanced over his shoulder at Selphie, then back at the older boy. "She fell asleep. I had to carry her because she hurt her ankle."  
  
Selphie's father later came out, holding out his arms. "Let me take her inside. Thank you very much Zell."  
  
Zell nodded, losing his grip on the girl. Mr. Taylor Tilmitt took his daughter in his arms and began carrying her inside the house, but before he could, Selphie had waken up from her sleep, calling her best friend's name. "Zell? Where's Zell?"  
  
"I'm here, Selphie," came Zell's voice. He ran to her side quickly. "What is it?"  
  
"Thank you," Selphie whispered.  
  
Zell nodded. "You said your thank you already."  
  
"I know, but I just wanted to say it again," Selphie replied smiling.  
  
*******************************  
  
"Selphie? Earth to Selphie!" Selphie blinked. Was she thinking about THAT again? It has been a long time since she reminisce that time. The hyper girl looked up at her friends, looking at her curiously.  
  
"What's wrong?" came Quistis' voice, a new girl in school. She was a smart person and she was glad she became friends with her, otherwise, she would have gotten tutoring from snobby Brandy McFadden. She had asked the blond girl for help in Math and Quistis, without hesitation, agreed to help her.   
  
The brunette shook her head. "Nothing," was her simple reply, before turning her attention on her food, laying cold on the plate. She scooped up some mashed potatoes with her spoon and stuffed it in her mouth, chewing it as slowly as possible. With quick eyes, though not quickly enough, glanced at a young blond jock sitting on a table across from where they sat. Rinoa was the only person who noticed her look, while Quistis, oblivious to everything around her, continued eating her lunch.  
  
"Yeah, right, Selphie!" Rinoa boomed.  
  
Startled by her voice, Selphie almost jumped off her seat. She looked up at Rinoa with a questioning gaze. Quistis, who hadn't noticed anything, though, the girl must have been thinking of something else, looked up as well, looking curiously at the raven haired girl. Rinoa leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Were you thinking of THAT again?"  
  
Selphie sighed. Rinoa knew her a lot. They were best friends since elementary. In fact, her, Zell and Rinoa were best friends, but were never that close. Her and Zell were best friends long before her and Rinoa. Before the bouncy haired girl could answer, a blond boy with an odd looking hair style appeared, interrupting the conversation between Rinoa and Selphie.   
  
"Hey, Rin! Hey, Selph!" he spoke, sitting beside an empty chair beside Selphie, then putting his tray on the table with him. "Hey Squall," Zell added, realizing Rinoa's boyfriend sitting there.  
  
"Hi, Zell!" Rinoa and Selphie replied in unison.  
  
Squall just nodded his head in response.  
  
Zell glanced across from him, noticing the new girl sitting beside Rinoa. "Hi, my name is Zell by the way," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake.  
  
Quistis shook his hand and from what Selphie could see, rather awkwardly. She probably isn't used to shaking strangers' hands, Selphie thought, sipping a little bit of her very hot, chicken soup.   
  
Selphie giggled, watching Zell shake the blond girl's hand, then watched him pick up his chicken sandwich from his plate, then bit a large bite from it. The blond glanced to his side at Selphie's plate full of fries and took a handful from it without asking. Zell looked up and grinned, while Quistis just watched with wide, curious eyes. Selphie just shook her head and laughed.   
  
It was only three years ago, when they were both thirteen years old that one day, Selphie didn't have anything to eat, beause her mom and dad forgot to give her lunch money to buy her lunch. She told Zell and Rinoa that she was going to meet her mom at the front of the school to get her lunch. Rinoa believed that, but Zell was not fooled. When lunch came, Selphie went out to 'meet' with her mom at the front, but before she could walk out of the school, Zell was already there. "Zell! What are you doing here? I thought you went to eat lunch already?" she had said to him that afternoon.  
  
Zell just shook his head and grinned, lifting up a lunch bag to show her. "I was going to, but Jenny packed a big lunch for me that I couldn't eat by myself. I thought maybe you'd like to eat them with me. How about it?"  
  
Selphie hesitated.   
  
"Just like old times," Zell spoke, hitting the right spot for Selphie.  
  
The girl sighed, then finally nodded.   
  
Later that afternoon, they ate their lunch, but after school, when Selphie went to Zell's house to hang out as usual, she found out that Zell's Aunt didn't pack any lunches. Zell must have bought those two large sandwiches and the two muffins from the cafeteria, asked someone for a lunch bag and fooled Selphie. The girl was mad at first, because he lied to her, but she came to realize that Zell was just doing what they promised each other when they were ten...   
  
"Hey, Zell!"  
  
Selphie jumped back to reality, blinked a couple of times, before looking up as Kent Marshall approached their table.   
  
"Hey, Kent," Zell replied, biting his sandwich again. "What is it?"  
  
Kent placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Coach needs you right now."  
  
"Now? I'm eating," Zell replied.  
  
"He said that if we're not there in ten minutes, we have ten laps to do after school before practice. He said that we were having an emergency practice."  
  
"Emergency practice?" Selphie asked, looking at Zell.  
  
The blond glanced over at Selphie, nodding his head. "Yeah, emergency practices are practices we REALLY need if the other team we're playing are REALLY good. And this is a REALLY good sandwich," Zell added, lifting up the top of the bun and looking inside.  
  
Selphie couldn't help but laugh at his joke, no matter how lame it was.  
  
Kent rolled his eyes. "Hey, come on, man! You said you hated doing ten laps around the field!"  
  
Zell nodded. "I do." He stood up, putting down his sandwich on the table and gave Selphie another glance. "See ya later, Shorty!" he said, before leaving the table for the field with Kent.   
  
Selphie watched him go. With the corner of her eyes, she could see Quistis staring at her constantly, as if offended by Zell's behaviour. Laughing, the younger girl glanced at the blond and smiled. "It's okay, Quistis. That's how we always act around each other. I'm used to it. Shorty is also another name he calls me other than, 'Selph.' We call each other names all the time!"  
  
"Then, what do you call him?" Quistis asked.  
  
"I call him... Loser," Selphie replied, casually. She scooped a little bit of soup on her spoon, blowing on it a couple of times before stuffing the spoon inside her mouth. She looked up to see Quistis staring at her, curiously. "Okay, okay, I don't call him anything. We don't do it all the time though."  
  
"Yeah, but Selphie does call him Bull-Charger whenever we see him at football practices," Rinoa added.  
  
"Wow," was all Quistis could say, confused.  
  
Selphie sighed, laughing. "Bull-charger because he acts like a bull whenever he goes after the opponent with the ball," Selphie answered.  
  
"Oh..." the blond spoke. Selphie knew Quistis didn't believe her.  
  
"How about you and I go to the emergency practice and see him work his stuff?" Selphie asked her.  
  
"Right now?" Quistis asked, glancing at her unfinished sandwich.  
  
Selphie stood up. "Yeah, right now." She grabbed Zell's unfinished lunch, took a large bite, then grabbed Quistis' hand and pulled her up. She dragged the taller girl out of the cafeteria and towards the back doors, leaving Rinoa and Squall alone.   
  
*********************************  
  
The practice was already on the way by the time they were seated on the bleachers. They sat in the middle row, in the middle seats, watching the footballs jocks do their best on the field. Coach Maxwell, who has been Balamb's best coach for thirty years, guided the players with their moves, telling them where to go in situations if the ball were to ever reach in the hands of the opponent. "All right, boys! Let's start our game. We don't stop until we got this move right. Dincht, remember your position."  
  
Zell, standing in the middle of the field nodded at his coach. Selphie watched as the coach blew his whistle. The group with the yellow bibs had the first kick off, while the ones with no bibs stayed in their positions at the yellow bibbed group made their move forward. Her best friend was on the yellow bibbed side. He was a quarter back, so his job was to say the usual, 'hut! hut!' before the ball was thrown to him. One of his teammates, Neil Albarac ran forward like lightning, passing the other team by with his fast feet and quickly turned to wait for the ball to come his way. Zell threw the ball as hard as he could and the massive, brown, ball flew thirty feet into the air, landing in the hands of Number 32, Warren James, the opposing team.   
  
Coach Maxwell blew his whistle, shaking his head. "Zell, where's your head today? Didn't you see where your teammate was?" He approached the blond on the field.  
  
Number 19, Dincht, wiped his forehead with his arms and nodded, knowing full well of his mistakes. His coach patted him on the back, backed away from the field and turned around to face the other players sitting on the bench. He pointed his thumb towards someone and nodded. "Marshall, let me see how you do with your throw. Dincht, you're off for today. You can go and finish your lunch. I'll see you after school."  
  
Zell nodded. "Yes, sir." He took off his bib and ran towards Marshall, throwing the bib as he passed his friend. Kent caught it with one hand, glancing over his shoulder at Zell and ran to the field to join his team. The blond jogged over to the bench, to where the water coolers were, grabbing a paper cup from the bench and poured half of water into the cup. He turned and drank the water full.   
  
"Hey, Selphie? How long have you and that jock been best friends?" came Quistis' voice, interrupting her from her observations.  
  
"That, jock, Quistis, has a name and his name is Zell Dincht, you know," Selphie replied, turning her head towards the blond girl.  
  
Quistis turned her eyes away from her. "I'm sorry. It's just hard to believe that..."  
  
Selphie noticed that Quistis was having a hard time talking to ber about personal things. The girl turned away from her, putting her attention back on the field and sighed. "Don't apologize. People always ask me that anyway. Yeah, it must be hard to understand how a girl like me could have ever ended up being friends with a cute boy like him. I guess you could say, our families grew up together too, so they stayed close together."  
  
"Which one of your parents were friends with his?" the blond asked.  
  
"My mom and his dad were best friends. Actually, you could say, they almost went out once, but they decided to stay friends after that."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Selphie laughed. She noticed now that Quistis was a curious person. "I'm sorry, Quistis, I just don't feel like answering that right now. In all honesty, I don't even know the answer to that question. My mom just told me, they stayed friends and they have been friends ever since. Best friends, I should say. They even got married to different people at the same time at the same church." The questions Quistis was asking, was the same ones Rinoa asked when they first met. She was tired of answering the same questions over and over again. Soon, she'll tell her.   
  
"You're lucky," Quistis began.  
  
It took her a moment to realize that Quistis was talking to her again, before she looked up with curious eyes. "What?"  
  
"You're lucky that you have a best friend you can rely on."  
  
"Why? Don't you have a best friend?" SHE was getting curious with Quistis' own past.  
  
Quistis shook her head. "No," she replied, taking her eyes away from the shorter girl.  
  
Selphie placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be your best friend," she spoke.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really."  
  
"Well, since I'm your best friend from now on, Selphie, if you need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me too."  
  
Selphie smiled, wrapping her arms around her new best friend. "Of course I will. I'll tell you everything about me and then vice versa...deal?"  
  
"Deal," Quistis replied.  
  
"Now, that's been said and done, I have to go meet Zell before Lit. class starts. He needs my help with the homework he missed because of practice." Selphie gave Quistis' hand a squeeze, before running down the bleachers to meet the blond. Zell was still by the field, watching the practice of his teammates, when Selphie found him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, startling him. She giggled when Zell almost jumped.  
  
"Hey, Zell, don't you need help with your literature homework?"   
  
"Oh yeah," Zell replied, nodding his head. "Hey, Marshall!"  
  
Kent turned around. "Yeah?"  
  
"Fill me in on your practice, all right?"  
  
Kent nodded. "Yeah, all right." He waved his hand good bye at both Zell and Selphie.  
  
Selphie smiled. Kent was a nice guy. There was a rumor that he had a crush on her before, but it later changed when he found out that she was best friends with Zell. He must have thought then that Zell and her were dating, but there was no dating between them. Her and Zell were JUST best friends and nothing more. "All right, let's get going." Selphie looked up and watched Zell put his towel on his shoulder, before she led the way back inside the school building.  
  
******************************  
  
After school came. Selphie was already sitting on the bleachers, watching the football jocks practice their throwing. Ever since they lost the game last year from Varsity, the Balamb Coach Maxwell has been working his players really hard, three hours of practice everyday, with the possibility of having Emergency practices whenever the Coach felt like they needed it and with that, it doubled their days of practices. Selphie was looking all over for Zell, but he was nowhere to be found. She could tell Coach Gerald Maxwell was also looking for him, because his head was searching around for the best kicker, Number 19. Kent Marshall wasn't there either, his star quarterback. The girl glanced at her watch. It was already five minutes pass three. She knew how angsty the coach was when his players were late, even if it was five minutes pass. She understood that the Coach would be upset. Coach Maxwell had three kids to pick up every six o'clock and he didn't like starting late for the practices. He didn't like staring practices either without his two star players.   
  
The Coach turned to Number 02, Neil Albarac. "Where the hell is Dincht and Marshall?"  
  
Neil had no idea either, so he just shrugged. "I dunno, Coach. Should we start the practice without them?"  
  
Gerald took a long deep breath, taking a moment to calm down and finally nodded. "All right. Start doing your twenty laps around the field."  
  
Neil nodded. "Yes, sir." He turned around and left to tell the other players present about the laps. Selphie heard moans from some of the players, but they started their laps anyway. None of them would dare confront their Coach with their complaints. Coach would start blowing at them with his temper if they complained. He told them once none of them should do any complaining if they were to join the Balamb Lions.  
  
After a couple more minutes, Zell and Kent arrived. Selphie sighed a breath of relief. She was worried that something happened to them during their Chemistry class- thinking they might've blown up something with their experiments. Kent was always putting Zell into trouble. She remembered the first day of high school, she and Zell were just walking in the hallway, when Kent came running down, bumping into Selphie, almost knocking her down. Zell caught her just in time. He grabbed Kent by the shirt before he could run away. Kent was forced to turn around. He was holding a spray can. Without thinking, the young man stuffed the spray can into Zell's hand and ran off. Principal Wickham, an English Principal appeared later and once he noticed Zell with the spray can, he immediately put him into detention without a form of interrogation.   
  
"Dincht! Marshall!" Coach Maxwell approached them with a serious look. "Why the HELL are you both late?! You know how I don't like to waste time!"  
  
Selphie watched as Zell rubbed the back of his nervously. "Sorry, Coach. We went out to get something to eat and we got stuck in traffic," Zell replied. Kent was just standing there, his head bowed down, but Selphie could see he was trying to hold his laugh.   
  
Maxwell took a deep breath, rubbing the top of his nose irritably and finally looked at the two boys straight in the eyes with a hard expression. "If you two boys are ever late again, I can cut you out of the team, you hear me?"  
  
Zell and Kent nodded in unison. The Coach turned around and went back to the field, followed by his two late players.  
  
Selphie was the only one who noticed that the two boys weren't carrying the food they supposedly bought from a faraway fast food restaurant. She furrowed her eyebrows suspiciously. She watched as Zell and Kent whispered to each other about something personal and when the Coach turned to call them, the two boy broke apart from their conversation and joined their teammates in the field.  
********************************   
The practice after school came by so quickly. Time passed quickly. Selphie packed her homework in her backpack and closed her locker, where it automatically locks itself without having to hook the lock into the hole. She placed her back pack on her shoulder and left the building casually. He was already there, sitting on the bench. He had his back towards her, throwing a football around into the air. When he threw it up in the air again, Selphie reached out and caught it with one hand. She watched as Zell noticed his disappearing ball and watched him stand up and turn around.  
  
"Nice catch," Zell commented. "You're improving."  
  
Selphie threw the ball back again with the same hand and smiled. "I have you to thank for that." It was last summer, when Zell was teaching her football ever since he started joining the team and the first time she tried catching the ball with one hand, the ball ended up bouncing off of her arms and landing on the blond's head. Selphie laughed, thinking about Zell's reaction when the ball made contact with his head. Playfully, he chased after her around the front yard of her house, while Selphie ran away, screaming. She fought back with a water hose and she turned on the tap water as far as she could so the water came out hard. She aimed it straight at him, forcing Zell to back away for a little bit. Zell went inside her kitchen and later came back, carrying a large jug of water. He used one of her father's water jugs from work and with one quick move, he chased her to the pool and splashed the water all over her. Selphie fought back, pulling him towards the pool, but Zell was able to grab her arm and pull her with him. They landed in the pool, laughing.   
  
"All right, girls, let's get going." The blond stood up and began to walk away.  
  
Selphie stuffed her hands into her coat pocket and joined Zell's side as they walked down the sidewalk. She glanced at him when she was sure he wasn't looking and stared at him for a while, curiously. When Zell turned to look at her, she turned away, pretending nothing was going on. However, Zell did not see pass that. He stopped and turned to face her.  
  
"Okay, what is it?" he asked.  
  
The girl looked at him, coyly. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"You're doing that 'look when he's not looking thing' again and that usually means you want to ask me something."  
  
Selphie shrugged. "I was just curious about something."  
  
The two, as if on cue, began to walk together down the street. Selphie was quiet for a while, trying to think of how to start the conversation about him and Kent being late for today's practice. "Well uh... I'm just curious about you and Kent being late for practice today." She took a deep breath and removed her hands from the pockets of her jacket and laid them down beside her.  
  
Zell stuffed his hands in his pockets this time, switching with Selphie and glanced at her. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? And I told the coach that we went to get something to eat, but the traffic was so bad, we couldn't make it in time."  
  
The girl nodded, looking up, staring at Zell straight into his eyes, making sure he wasn't lying. She hated it when she doubted her best friend, but something was not right with him. Before she could ask anymore, Zell quickly changed the subject.  
  
"I'm starving! We'll order pizza at my house when we get there!" Zell spoke, grinning.  
  
Selphie looked at him strangely. "But I thought you just ate?"  
  
Zell shrugged. "Yeah, I know, but I'm hungry again. You know how practices make me hungry all the time!"  
  
The girl doubted him again, but shrugged it off. She knew Zell never gave her straight answers whenever she asked something, but she was beginning to get worried about him. He never avoided her questions, but this time, he was. What bothered her right now was how big Zell's appetite had grown from a small plate to ten plates. If people were to compare her and Zell, she would be the one with the most appetite, even though her size and height are pondered upon, but Jenny and her mother both knew that Selphie could eat ten round chocolate mousses than Zell could. Sighing, she nodded and smiled. "Yeah, you're right. I'm kinda hungry too."  
  
They arrived at the Dincht's house half an hour later. If Selphie were to become six again, she would be looking around curiously at the large house that Zell has lived all his life ever since his parents both died in a car accident when they went for Hawaii for their wedding anniversary. She would be scared at the sight of big Uncle Oliver Prisely coming down the stairs or the sight of a little boy walking beside him, teasing her about her long and bouncy hair and her height. Selphie verbally fought back with insults of her own and the first time she did that to him, her mother punished her for being rude. She doesn't remember exactly how they became friends, but after a lot of intense insults from each other, the insults eventually turned into light teasing and then the teasing changes from verbal insults, to small mocking comments. When they both turned six, Selphie and Zell soon became close friends and has been inseparable since. Her mother and father teased her about how they were 'glued' to each other most of the time. During their kindergarten days, when Selphie's parents didn't let her go to certain school trips, Zell would stay with her and miss the trips altogether, because, according to him, the funnest part of being in trips was having his best friend there to make fun of the crazy animals together. Zell complained to the teachers all the time about putting him in the group with Selphie whenever she wasn't in the same group as him during class projects and the teachers had to be forced to stick the two friends together in the same one for years. Or whenever Zell left a room, Selphie would soon follow. When high school hit, Selphie stuck by Zell and Zell stuck by Selphie. To her, she stuck by him, because since they met, Selphie has always had a crush towards Zell. Eventually, when high school came, that crush turned into something more to her best friend.   
  
"Hey Zell! Hey Selphie!" Jennifer Prisely came out of the kitchen, holding a dish towel. "How was school today?"  
  
Selphie smiled and nodded. "It was all right!"  
  
Jenny smiled back and went back to the kitchen, not bothering to question on why Selphie answered instead of Zell.  
  
The two quickly made their way up the stairs. They were just walking fine, until Selphie had the urge to race him to his bedroom. It must have been reminiscing the past that brought her to want to pretend like they were kids again. Selphie giggled as Zell tried to run pass her, but with Selphie's height and fast legs, she was able to beat him on the bed.   
  
"HEY! No fair!" she heard Zell spoke. She sat there on her knees and waited until Zell appeared in his room. Zell ran towards her and tackled her down and began tickling her. Selphie laughed hard, almost to the brink of tears. Zell wrapped an arm around her neck and rubbed the top of her head, doing their childhood, 'noogie.'   
  
"Stop! You're ruining my hair!!!!" Selphie squealed.  
  
Zell laughed. "Hah! Hah!" Letting go, he joined Selphie on the bed and relaxed himself on it. Selphie did a double take, making herself comfortable on the bed as well, just opposite of the blond. She rested her back against the cold wall and sighed. They were both gasping for breath. They were just getting too old for wrestling now. "Yes... (gasp) I (gasp) WIN!" Zell punched the air and grinned. "Booyaka!"  
  
"Hey, that's my line!" Selphie said, wrinkling her nose.  
  
"Whatever!" Zell replied, sticking his tongue out at her. "Let's order pizza!"  
  
Selphie sighed. "Now?"  
  
"You said you were hungry!"  
  
"All right! I'll call!" Selphie stood up from bed and walked towards the phone on Zell's study desk. She picked up the reciever and dialed the right number for Pizza Hut, just by memory. They ordered so many pizzas from Pizza Hut that Selphie ended up remembering the number. The person who worked there, by the name of Irvine, who hit on her most of the time, recognized her voice that he knew exactly what she was going to order. "Hey! I'm not paying for it again!" Selphie spoke, glancing over her shoulder at Zell.  
  
Zell had the television on now, his eyes glued to the television. He waved his hand and nodded, without looking at her. "Don't worry, I'm paying it!"  
  
Selphie planted a fist on her hip. "Oh really?"   
  
The first ring was on the way on the other line.  
  
"Really!" Zell replied, giving her a thumbs up.  
  
Selphie shook her head and laughed. The second ring...  
  
"Hello, Pizza Hut, what can I do for ya?" came a male's voice on the other line.  
  
"Hi!" Selphie spoke, recognizing the male voice to be Irvine Kinneas as usual.  
  
"Selphie! The usual darling?"  
  
"Of course!" Selphie replied.  
  
"Hey, Selphie! Adding to the usual pizzas we order, could you also add another batch? Make it pepperoni this time!" came Zell's voice behind her.  
  
Selphie turned around and looked at him curiously. "Why?"  
  
"Just order it!"  
  
Sighing, Selphie nodded. "All right. Could you also add pepperoni to the order, Irvine?"  
  
"Sure," the young Pizza Hut worker with a Southern accent spoke.   
  
"Thanks a lot!"  
  
"No problem sweet cakes! Your order will be there in half an hour!"  
  
"All right! Ciao Irvine!"  
  
"Ciao Little Lamb!"  
  
Selphie put the phone back on the reciever and began walking back to her spot on the bed beside Zell, but not before the blond spoke to her. "Hey, Selph, the money is in my right jacket pocket." The girl paused and turned to the other direction. She walked over to the door, where Zell's school jacket hung and reached inside his right pocket to find the money for the pizzas. When she was sure she felt it, she pulled it out, but accidentally pulled something unexpected. The item in her hand was not the roll of money that Zell usually rolled up to make room for his pens in his pockets, but it was a small white tube made of paper. Inside, there was brown coloring and when Zell wasn't looking, Selphie lifted it up to her nose and smelled it. Marijuana... she thought. Marijuana..she recognized the smell. It was the same fume she smelled when she went into her brothers room while he was out with his girlfriend, Patty. That was just a year ago. At nineteen, her brother was in jail for illegal drug possession. Her hands shook in fear. Zell was smoking...   
  
"Hey, Selph! What's taking so long? Are you having troube looking for the change?"   
  
"No, I got it," she replied. Selphie quickly stuffed the pot back inside the pocket and found the right roll of money somewhere deeper inside the pocket and pulled it out, leaving the marijuana inside to be used by Zell...again... She knew now why Zell was late for his football practice this afternoon.  
  
"Are you okay?" Zell asked, when he noticed her nervous face.  
  
Selphie looked up and smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine." I'm the biggest liar, she thought.   
  
GoodGurl: Wooh! That was a long one! There you have it folks! A little story of Selphie herself! Hee hee! And you all must be surprised that her and Zell are best friends and what's this--?! Zell is smoking? AH! I wonder why? Zell's story coming soon! 


	4. Guilty Heart

Note: Hi everyone! Hee hee! You can probably guess who the next person is because it is very obvious! So...why IS Zell smoking weed? Well this chapter explains HIS life! Enjoy! Oh yeah! Last chapter...I just had to mention it... Irvine?! Pizza guy?! HEE HEE! I'm sorry I just don't like him, but he's okay I guess. I'm not much of a Selvine fan tho...sorry to those Selvine fans! ^_^; Anyway, the moment u've been waiting for...why IS Zell smoking marijuana? Hm..... o_O  
  
Chapter 4 - Guilty Heart   
  
It was loud. So loud. He could hear was the distant sound of the sirens enveloping his ears. He sat, his arms outstretched towards them... they were trapped. He had to let them out. He had to save them. But it was too late. The image flashed to a quieter place. It took him a moment to realize that the place he was in now was a morgue. In front of him, he saw them laying there, their bodies, pale and unmoving. He called out to them, but all he could hear coming out of his mouth was a whimper. There were people around now now, speaking as if he wasn't there.  
  
"It was a head on collision. She came out flying forward, her head smashed against the window. The driver-- her husband, was trapped between the wheel and the seat. I couldn't believe it when I saw them being carried here. It must have been awful for them." The ten year old boy looked up. The one who was speaking was a tall man wearing a white lab coat, his glasses, round and thick and his face, skinny and frail.   
  
"Think of what it would be like if the child ever found out the truth of how his parents died," a woman in the group spoke.  
  
Died??? What were they talking about? He looked up and then he saw them.  
  
The bodies, he realized that he was calling out to were THEM.... "Mom? Dad?"  
  
The people around their bodies turned at the same time and looked at him. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be in here." the woman spoke, wide eyed. She placed her hands on his shoulders and led him out of the room. The blond boy turned around and was on a verge of tears. The woman kneeled down in front of him and wrapped her skinny arms around the boy. "Shhh, it's okay now. I'll take care of you."  
  
The boy looked up into her eyes, giving her that questioning look. He recognized her. She was his Aunt... his father's older sister. Aunt Jenny. The boy looked down on the ground and cried in his Aunt's arms. She wrapped her arms around him tighter and comforted him as much as she could. "Why did they have to die, Aunt Jenny?!" he finally spoke, weeping in her shoulder.  
  
Aunt Jenny shook her head. "I don't know, Zell. Sometimes there are many things we don't understand of why it happens. There will never be answers to every question."  
  
There will never be answers to every question, he thought.   
************************  
Zell savored each taste from his enjoyment, taking small puffs, enduring that one moment of having peace and quiet. Just him, his smoke and his thoughts. He thought about that night when his Aunt told him the whole story. Of course, at the age of ten, he denied the fact that his parents were really gone forever. He simply thought that his parents were coming back... sooner or later. As he grew up, he eventually learned that they would never return. He grew mature and grew an addiction to marijuana. It was his life's vacation, away from tests, from grades and everything else that had to do with school. For him, what was the point of ever doing good in school? He still tried hard of course, tried as hard as he could to get all the A's he deserves and the good praises he got from his friends, because he wanted to make his Aunt and Uncle proud. Even his little cousin, Mimi, because the girl someday, wants to be like him. A smart and athletic jock. But sometimes he didn't like it. What was the point? His mom wasn't there to hug him and kiss him congratulations for a job well done, neither was his dad to videotape that moment where he scored a touchdown during his first kickoff at the football field.   
  
The blond boy took another puff and closed his eyes in ecstacy. He looked up towards the large window of the hallway where he could see the field.. his other source of salvation from the pain inside. Football was always his dream. It was what his father always wanted him to do. Gary Dincht was the legendary football coach at Varsity and later transferred with the Balamb Lions to make them better. Of course, Zell wasn't even born yet when he began coaching the team. He was just six years old when he watched his father out into the field, arguing with the referee that the tackle was relevant instead of a foul.   
  
A flashback of that night splashed into his mind. That night-- their bodies laid side by side...   
  
Zell shook the thought away from him and came back to reality. He glanced at the last stick of marijuana in his hand. It was just three years ago when he began to start smoking the wonderful addiction of marijuana. Kent was the one who introduced him to the wonderful smell of salvation. At first, he was hesitant, but when he found out that the one who collided with his parents' car awoke from his coma, Zell found a way not to be hesitant anymore to take his first smoke. It was unfair for him to think that the man, drunk at the time, should have died instead of them, because he was not that kind of person. He didn't want Selphie to think he was turning evil. All he could do was to fade all the anger and guilt away by the puff of a good marijuana. He lifted the stick to his lips and breathed in the aroma, then slowly exhaled the smoke out into the quiet hallway.   
  
Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Casually, he dragged the stick out against the wall and waffed the smoke away from him, in case the footsteps were to come his way. When he was sure, everything was clear, he turned his eyes towards the front and watched in the corner of his eye as a tall blond guy, not much older than him walked pass him calmly. The blond, wearing a grey trenchcoat took one quick glance towards him, but then turned his attention back into something else, not caring what Zell was doing. Zell watched the other blond leave the building and when he knew that no one else was there, he stood up, stuffed his 'leftovers' in his pockets and decided to go to a much quieter and secluded place to enjoy his 'lunch.'   
  
"Hey Zell!" Zell froze and turned his head slowly. When he noticed that it was Kent Marshall, he took a deep breath and stopped so he could catch up.  
  
"Hey, Kent," the blond spoke, waving his hand. Kent Marshall, the first person who ever talked to him during his first weeks as a member of the Balamb Lions was the one who made all the members of the team like him. At first, they made fun of him and his hair, but once he started playing for the team, they were impressed of how well he played. Kent made his popularity even stronger when he announced to the whole team that he was the fastest runner in the field. The tall brunette must have seen him run around his neighborhood. "What's up?" Zell stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited for him. He watched as Kent took out something from his own pockets, looked around him to make sure no one was around and handed him a square box.   
  
"Here, I'm sure you'd want this."  
  
Zell looked at it curiously. "What is it?"  
  
Kent grinned. "Lyle gave that to me, but I thought you'd want it more. It's a good brand too, just out from Columbia."  
  
Zell's eyes widened. "From Columbia? How did he get it from there?" He opened it slowly and saw the good brands of cigarettes stacked in neat rows.  
  
The taller boy shrugged. "I guess he has connections there. Well, I gotta go." He patted Zell's shoulder and turned. "See ya later, man."  
  
The blond watched him. "All right, see ya." He took another look inside the small matchbox and stuffed it inside his pant pocket, then left the building towards the back doors of the school and into the afternoon air.   
  
Zell glanced at his watch. He forgot that he had to go meet Selphie in front of their Lit. class so he could get help from her with the homework he missed when he had to go for the game against Varsity. Sighing, he walked up the backsteps outside and made his way around the other side of the school to get to his Literature class quickly. Outside their classroom, Selphie was already there, waiting for him. When she noticed him, she waved her hand and ran by his side quickly.  
  
"Hey, Zelly! Ready to do homework together? Mr. Ericsson left the door open for us so we can work on our homework."  
  
The blond grinned, wrapping an arm around her tiny shoulders and they walked together inside the classroom. Just as she said, the door was indeed open. Selphie released herself from Zell's arms and ran to the nearest desk they saw and patted a seat next to her. "Come on! Let's get crackin'!"  
  
Zell shook his head and laughed. He remembered the first time she came into his world. He didn't remember exactly how old they were, but he knew they were young back then. She was the next person to be heartbroken when Zell phoned her from the morgue and told her what happened to his parents. She was a smart person, because she was the first one to ever notice that his parents did die, while Zell was still in that phase of believing that they were coming back. She made him see the light that his parents will never come watch his football games again... will never see him do another high kick or tackle a guy bigger than him. She was there to comfort him when he needed someone's shoulder to cry on other than his Aunt Jennifer, who was going to be his Guardian from now on.   
  
"Zell?"   
  
The blond boy blinked, coming back to reality. He looked up at Selphie, who has been staring at him for who knows how long. He had no idea he was still standing by the door when she called his name. Zell grinned and sat down beside Selphie. He watched as she opened her notebook and her 'Literature Life' text book, opening it to page 84 and placed them both on the table in front of them. He watched her read the page to make sure it was the right one. He didn't know he became best friends with this girl. They had nothing in common. She was a happy girl, while he was a boy who was considered as perfect, but deep down inside he wasn't. The only reason he could think of was...  
  
He loved her.  
  
"Okay this is the right page," Selphie spoke.  
  
"Huh? What?"  
  
Selphie looked up and frowned, shaking her head. "What's wrong with you today? Is your head in the clouds again, thinking about football?" She giggled, noticing him looking up with wide, questioning eyes. She playfully punched him in the arm and pointed to the books in front of them. "Come on, take your mind away from that and let's study before lunch ends."  
  
Zell nodded, watching her turn her head back to the books. She was talking again, but he didn't mind. He loved her voice. He loved her smile and everything about her. A pang of guilt gnawed inside him. They promised each other that whatever secrets they had, they would share it to each other, but he wasn't sharing it. He hasn't been sharing this secret about him for three long years and if he kept this up, he knew this guilt was going to continue eating him up inside. "Selphie?"  
  
Selphie looked up and gave him a questioning look. "Yeah?"  
  
The blond took a deep breath and gave himself a couple of seconds before his courage came back to him. But before he could say anything else, the end of lunch bell rang. He opened his mouth to say it quickly, but students were already walking inside the classroom. Some students were saying 'hello' to them as they walked in, interrupting Selphie from paying attention to what Zell had to say. Zell sighed and turned the desk around until it was facing the front of the class. He felt a tap on his shoulder.  
  
"Zell, what were you going to say to me?" Selphie asked.  
  
Zell smiled and shook his head. "I just wanted to say thank you for helping me with the homework."  
  
The girl smiled. "You're welcome!"   
  
He watched her turn her desk back to its original position. She was the first person to ever comfort her in his time of need. At first, he was unsure about sharing his personal secrets to a ten year old Selphie, but as they grew, his trust towards her grew as well. Their relationship came from regular hanging out to mutual understanding. When he called her that same night his parents were taken to the hospital, she came over right away so he could talk to her in person. She told him once that when talking about personal things, it was better for her to listen in person than on the phone.   
  
"Mr. Dincht? Did you listen to what I said?"  
  
Zell looked up and noticed everyone, especially Mr. Harvis, who was standing beside his desk, waiting for something. "Um…" He glanced at Selphie, who was trying not to laugh. The blond looked up and grinned. "What did you say, sir?"   
  
A roar of laughter filled the room. Selphie's laugh was the loudest and it was like music to his ears.  
  
Mr. Harvis took a deep breath, running a hand through his head, which there was no point because he had no hair. Most men who wished to have hair were probably used to doing what most guys with hairs did. Jake Harvis was an unattractive man. He was short, and, as mentioned before, had no hair on his head, except for one tiny strand sticking out at the top of his head and had, big, round glasses that made his eyes look even bigger. He usually wore 50's vests with a flannel shirt underneath it, just like what he wore when he was young and wore the same, black trousers. "Mr. Dincht? The homework…" he replied. He held out his hand, expecting for the blond to hand him what he needed.  
  
Zell looked down at the piece of paper he started working with Selphie, but never had a chance to finish the whole thing. He had to do an essay, explaining Macbeth's reasoning for killing all the innocent people. It took him hours to think of the answer last night and he came into a conclusion that the mad man, born from Shakespeare's imagination, was just hungry for power and that was all he could think of. He picked up the piece of paper, which was only a page long and he knew Mr. Harvis was looking for at least one and a half page long, but that was all he could do. He handed the paper to the teacher and sighed. Mr. Harvis gave him a quick smile, before taking the paper from his hand and turning back to his desk so he could file them inside his folder. The blond took a deep breath. He glanced quickly at Selphie, who gave him the thumbs up, before he turned back and went back to his thoughts…Mr. Harvis' words of wisdom, jogging out of his mind.   
  
***************************************   
After school came by quickly than he thought. He was waiting for Kent to show up and meet him at the front door, so they could leave early for a little smoke and come back in time for the practice. Zell sighed and glanced at his watch. Kent also promised he would bring more of the good 'ones' so they could enjoy it for themselves somewhere other than the school.   
  
"Hey, Dincht!" he heard someone call his name. The blond turned and was relieved to find Kent walking to him.   
  
"What took you so long?" Zell asked, folding his arms across his chest.  
  
"Here, catch!" Kent tossed something at Zell and the blond caught it with one hand. Zell glanced at the item in his hand-- it was the same brand he tried out during lunch time. The same, flashing logo of a man smoking a pipe, standing in a field and anyone can guess what kind of field it was. Kent had answered his question on why he took so long to meet him. Lyle must have gotten him some more of it. He stuffed the small box in his pocket and began walking away from the building, followed by Kent. They crossed the street together and made their way to a conveniece store to buy an extra lighter. Both Zell and Kent had run out during their lunch break, using all of it with the last batch of the Columbian brand. After they purchased a clear, cheap, plastic lighter from the store, they both went to the back of the building, deciding on trying out some more of the Columbian brand and maybe try some of the ones that Kent fished out of his pocket, also courtesy of Lyle, who purchased it from Scottland. Zell placed himself by the wall, resting his back against it and took out one stick from the Columbian brand and lit it with his new lighter. He passed the green lighter to Kent, who stood beside him and began puffing at his smoke. He knew he should quit, but when addicted to something, it can never be stopped. Like how that man was addicted to alcohol and ended up crashing his car and killing his parents. Zell could never forget that day when he turned fourteen. The first time the man was caught trying to rob someone, all Zell wanted to do was smack him in the face for killing his parents, but he never really did. He wanted to, but Selphie was the one who calmed him from his anger. Selphie...he thought. The guilt that gnawed at him earlier, gnawed at him still. This feeling of being so alone in the world, even though Selphie was there, still lingered in his thoughts. He did feel alone, despite the many people who loved him very much. He couldn't hug his parents like he used to when he was a child. Even though it was many years ago, the pain, the turmoil he had felt when he watched their bodies float deep into the ground of the cemetery, it gnawed at him deeper... even deeper than the guilt's teeth.   
  
"Ahhhhh...what a wonderful feeling this is!" he heard Kent say. Zell blinked back into reality and took another puff at his smoke and only nodded in respond to Kent's words. He wasn't really friends with the guy... not really close, unlike him and Selphie, but for all the things Kent has done for him-- bailing him out of detention and keeping himself cool, when Zell panicked-- it made him think otherwise of his teammate. When they started hanging out together, he showed Zell how to risk it all, instead of backing away and be a coward. Zell risked taking out all his pain on a puff of smoke from a good brand and has been since the beginning of his second year in high school. "Hey, Zell, you all right?"  
  
Zell glanced at him and sighed. "It's...Selphie... I feel so guilty about what I've been doing."  
  
"So? Tell her!" Kent replied, putting the butt of the cigarette back to his mouth. He inhaled and when he took it out from his mouth, he exhaled and let the smoke fade into the afternoon air. "She can't control what you do!"  
  
The blond shook his head and frowned. "I know that, but we've been friends since...forever! I'm the last person in her mind who will start something like THIS!" He lifted up his hand with the cigarette what he has been talking about and took a deep breath. "Her brother did it too...he went to jail, because he was illegally growing marijuana in his dorm room."  
  
Kent snorted, taking another puff. "So? Just because you're smoking it, doesn't really mean you'll go to jail for it! 'Sides, her brother didn't know how to hide the marijuana plants really well. I mean, of all the obvious places! A dorm room?! HAH!"  
  
"Marshall..." Zell looked up and frowned.  
  
The tall man grinned. "Just joking..." When he noticed Zell's agitated look, Kent patted him on the back and smiled. "Don't you worry about it! I'm sure Selphie will understand. If she doesn't, then what the hell kind of best friend is she anyway?!" He stepped back to his spot and finished the last half of his stick and then dropped it on the ground. "That's why I keep telling a lot of guys these days! NEVER EVER be best friends with girls! They're just plain trouble!"  
  
Zell looked at him strangely. "How are they trouble?" He finished his own last half of the stick and dropped it on the ground, dragging his foot on top of it to put it out.   
  
"Shit, Zell! When you're best friends with a girl, you have no freedom, whatsoever! You can't date other girls, because they might think you're dating your girl best friend or something! Wherever you are, they always show up!" Kent threw his arms in the air and made a deep exasperated sigh, then joined him once again against the wall. "They're a nuisance I tell ya!"   
  
Zell thought about it for a moment. For him, there was nothing wrong with having a girl as your best friend, but the reasons on why not that Kent had pointed out were perfectly true. Even before he started feelings for Selphie-- before she started changing into a woman and not as the tomboy girl he knew-- he was interested in other girls. Especially, Dinah Thompson... a beautiful, long, blond haired senior who had the same interests as him in football, soccer...every sport that he enjoyed playing. Sure, Selphie had the same interest too, but she was more into the relaxing types of games. He enjoyed extreme sports, while she enjoyed...mini golf and...badminton. Sighing, he stuffed his last stick inside his pocket and folded his arms across his chest.   
  
"Hey, you ruffians! Get out of here now! You're stinkin' up the place!" both young men heard Nigel Crane shout from the doorway. Zell and Kent moved out of their spot and just watched as Nigel went back inside of the building, probably to fetch the broom again, as if they were dirt on the ground ready to be swept. Kent laughed, finding Nigel Crane's antics amusing. Despite his name as being 'English,' he was actually born in Manhattan, New York. His father was an early retired British Mariner, Rupert Crane, who moved to New York to start a new life. He met Olivia Rodriguez, a Mexican-born actress who was looking for a place to stay. Rupert found her in a bar one night and eventually, their one night, became more.  
  
"We're outside, ya old fogie!" the blond hears Kent say.  
  
"I said get out of here!" Zell felt something hit the back of his head. He turned and noticed Nigel running after him with his broom stick. Kent was already walking away when he noticed him.   
  
"All right! Geez! I'm leaving!" the blond yelled back. He walked away from the building and joined Kent, who was already walking across the street. He rubbed the back of his head gently and scowled. "What the hell is his problem?!" Normally, Nigel would ask them gently. Nigel was a nice man. So, why the change of attitude? He turned his head quickly to stare at Nigel, who was already inside, standing by the window, watching to make sure that they wouldn't come back.  
  
Kent snorted, taking small steps up the stairs. "Who the hell knows?! Maybe his wife divorced him or something!"  
  
Zell thought about that for a moment as he followed Kent back inside the school building and through the hallway. He glanced at his watch. Suddenly, his mind went from Nigel Crane to their practice time at the field. "Hey..." His watch... "CRAP! My watch! It stopped! What the hell is the time?!" He looked overhead at the clock near the cafeteria as they passed it and read that it was already fifteen minutes after three. "Frick! We have to go now Kent! Maxwell is going to have our heads this time!" He began to ran towards the direction of the field, where, from where they were coming from, they had to pass the cefeteria, make a turn around the corner outside and walk through the safe gates. The safe gates were there for a reason. It was to keep intruders not from this school away from the field. When they reached the gates, he pushed it open, but it didn't budge. He looked over his shoulder at Kent and furrowed his eyebrows suspiciously. "It won't open..."  
  
Kent pushed Zell out of the way and tried his way with the gate, but, just as Zell said, it wasn't budging. "What the hell is this?!" He glanced at Zell. "Did he close the gates on us?!"  
  
The blond slapped his hand on his forehead. He remembered something like this on their first day of tryouts. Coach Maxwell had warned them that if they were ever late, even five minutes, he usually closes the gate so no one were to interrupt them from their practice. He wanted to slap the gate with his hand and be angry, but he couldn't care less at that point. If they were late, they were late.  
  
"Come on, Zell.." Zell looked up to where Kent was and noticed him climbing over the fence to their right. When he reached the top, he jumped down and opened the gate as easily as he came up the fence. The blond just watched for a while, until he found his mind back to reality.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked.  
  
Kent smirked. "He's not locking us out." He opened the door wider and Zell stepped through. They both made their way to the field. Zell was surprised that they were the only two who were late for the practice. Everyone on the bleachers and their teammates watching were relieved that they were all right, while Coach Maxwell, didn't seem pleased with their arrival.   
  
"Dincht! Marshall!" Zell watched as their coach approached them with an impatient look. "Why the HELL are you both late?! You know how I don't like to waste time!"   
Zell was thinking of what to say. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and grinned. The smoke was acting up on him again, making him almost laugh. "Sorry, Coach. We went out to get something to eat and we got stuck in traffic." He didn't understand why the Coach was hiding the fact that he made them even late by locking the gate, but Zell chose not to go on that subject. What matters now, that it was their fault in the first place. "If you two boys are ever late again, I can cut you out of the team, hear me?"   
In unison, Zell and Kent nodded. They followed the Coach into the field and began their practice without another word from their Coach.  
  
********************************  
  
After the practice, his stomach began to growl. He had no idea that he hadn't really eaten lunch today. His mind was too busy to think about food and ever since he left the field that day, he couldn't stop thinking about food. He couldn't believe he forgot about food. He couldn't stop thinking about food then, when he noticed Selphie looking at him. They were on their way to his house to hang out. It was Friday and Fridays usually meant 'hanging out day.' Sometimes they would just sit in his bedroom, get bored, probably play in his Playstation for a while, or just talk about things.   
"Okay, what is it?" He couldn't stand it when Selphie gave him that look. He stopped in the sidewalk, resting his football in between his arms and turned towards her. He didn't like it either everytime Selphie looked at him when he wasn't looking.   
"What are you talking about?" came Selphie's reply.  
"You're doing that 'look when he's not looking thing' again and that usually means you want to ask me something." Zell praised himself for knowing that. He knows her even better than her brother does. Her brother was never home to spend time with her. Zell was always there, hanging out at their house, when he wanted to. He practically became her brother...hopefully, that was not the case now. He didn't want it to be like that between them. He watched Selphie shrug.  
"I was just curious about something." I knew she wanted to ask about why him and Kent were late. He could tell she was trying to find a way to start the conversation. "Well uh... I'm just curious about you and Kent being late for practice today."  
Zell stuffed his hands in his pockets. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" The blond smiled reassuringly at her. "And I told the coach that we went to get something to eat, but the traffic was so bad, we couldn't make it in time." He waited for her response, but all she did was stare at her, making sure he wasn't lying. He put his best bluffing face on and when Selphie turned away, he knew that she believed him. He hated lying to her. His stomach suddenly started growling, just quietly enough so only he could hear. "I'm starving! We'll order pizza at my house when we get there!" He grinned.  
"But I thought you just ate?" Selphie asked.  
'Oh crap!' he thought. He went deeper into his mind to think of a better excuse. "Yeah, I know, but I'm hungry again. You know how practices make me hungry all the time!" he replied, hoping she'd buy it. How could she not? He was ALWAYS hungry after practices. He was relieved for a moment, when Selphie finally said, "Yeah, you're right. I'm kinda hungry too."  
Zell nodded, taking a quick deep breath, when Selphie began walking ahead of him. He was able to lie to her this day, but he wonders if he will be able to keep this up?  
  
GoodGurl: YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Another chappy! Hee hee! OOH! That Kent is sure is a trouble maker, ain't he? And Zell....?! o_O he's lying to Selphie! WHAT?! Poor Selphie...doesn't suspect a thing, well obviously until she finds the smoke in his pocket on Chapter 3 of course! ;) Hm...what is the answer to that last sentence of this chapter? Will he be able to tell her or will Selphie find out on her own and feel betrayed? Hm................o_O Stay tuned! ^_^ 


	5. Promises

Note: Hi everyone! So...who is it this time? Can you guess? Huh? Can ya? Hee hee! I am not telling! Besides, you'll probably get it anyway.XP Anyways, time to do some reading!  
  
Chapter 5 - Promises   
  
She was young, scared and very alone in her life. She walked the streets, begging for money, looking innocent so people will feel sorry for her. They should. She was an orphan after all. She doesn't have a family. She escaped the very strict lives of the people who worked at the orphanage. She was tired of that life. She wanted adventure, so much adventure so she knows she was free to do anything. Even at a young age, she worked and worked and worked to put some sense in her life. And then maybe she can go to school and meet good friends.   
  
At an innocent age of fifteen, Rinoa valued the life of being free. She wandered places and in each place, she worked so she can provide for the little life that was growing in her. She didn't know how it happened, but it just did. She knew she was naive and very weak at that point when she grew attached to HIM. The man who made her believe that he loved her and would do anything for her. For four long months, she believed it and when the child was born... he disappeared. She cried of course, wishing every moment that he would return some day to see his little girl grow up, but he never came. When her daughter turned one, it was a coinsidence that she found a place for them to live. A nice place, where Diana can play outdoors and where Rinoa can watch over her. The young mother was lucky enough to find a place where no one can find any other use to it. With the money she saved up, she can go to school to get her education and to work at the same time, to feed her daughter. She was also lucky that the house they were living in was just five minutes away from a high school that she has always wanted to go to. She was also fortunate to have a neighbor, a nice woman, in her mid forties, babysit her daughter while she was away. She was a young mother herself when she had her son so, Patti, the woman, was kind enough to offer her hand in helping Rinoa raise Diana. Patti was also working part time as a maid in a rich family in the suburbs, but it did not affect her babysitting the little girl.   
  
So, it was a lucky year for Rinoa. It took a lot of convincing and a lot of lying to the principal of the high school she wanted to go to. She had to tell him that her parents were both working twenty four hour shift and couldn't come at all to the meeting, so she had to do it alone. The Principal was, at first, unsure, but Rinoa, being out on the streets for quite some time, was used to giving him the puppy dog eyes to convince him. She didn't need to lie about her going to a catholic school when she started in kindergarten, because she did go there. It was acquired during her stay in the orphanage. It seems that all catholic schools provided many orphanage homes with many studies. And before she knew it, she was putting her new text books and notebooks in her locker on the second floor. She joined the cheerleading squad, met Squall, became close friends with Rinoa and Zell, while at the same time, took care of Diana in her own pace, with Patti's help. She went to school, then to work and then did at least five hours of cheerleading practice and came to the morning practices with perfect moves and exact motions that the Captain of the squad wanted her to do. She later became the squad Captain's number one member. For two long, she did it all and soon, it would be over and she can finally move on. No one can ever know her past and the principal has completely forgotten that he needed to meet her parents sooner or later.  
  
"Rin?" The raven haired girl looked from reading her book and smiled as Squall approached her. It has been a few months now since they've been together. Although it was not her intention to be with him for that long, because she knew if she stayed with another man, she will become attached and her reasons of being quiet about her past will hit Squall like a ticking time bomb. She truly loved him. Maybe he could be the right father for her little Diana, but then again, she could just be jumping ahead a bit.   
  
"What is it, Squall?" she asked, smiling, closing her book. She placed her novel on the table and waited until he sat down beside her.   
  
"I...uh..." Even for the few months they've been together, Squall still didn't know how to approach her with a gift on every occassion. Usually, he would approach her, hug her, and then hand in whatever present he had for her. Rinoa wondered sometimes where he got all the money to buy the necklaces, the earrings and many other expensive jewelry she recieved, came from. "Happy Birthday!" He handed her a small box, wrapped in gold.  
  
Rinoa stared at it for a moment and then looked up curiously. "What-? What is it?" Could it be? Just after a few months he was going to... Her line of thought were cut off, when Squall opened it for her instead and took out a golden ring, but it wasn't the kind where a woman wanted to be married in. In fact, it was a promise ring, which does not hold any diamonds. It was just a simple, round, golden ring. He put it on her middle, left finger and leaned over to kiss her hand, then said 'happy birthday,' the second time. "Ah... a promise ring?"  
  
Squall nodded. "Yeah. It's not just a birthday present either, it's a life time reminder of frienship, love and trust we have for each other. Even though we might be apart at the end of this year, this ring will make you remember the love we shared."  
  
Rinoa giggled. "You sound like we're never going to see each other again."  
  
The brunette wrapped his arms around her, pulling Rinoa into a loving hug. "Well, it can be true, but I hope it's not going to be like that. I hope you won't see the ring like that. It's suppose to be saying...I love you."  
  
Rinoa hugged him back. "I love you too, Squall," she whispered in his ear. She felt tears falling from her eyes. How will she ever tell him now? A promise ring... it was a symbol of promises that no secrets will ever be kept inside. It's a symbol of secrets meant to be shared to one another. Rinoa has to tell Squall about her daughter and about her life sooner or later, but how will he react? Will he be scared away because of her daughter? Will he leave her because he's not ready to be a father yet? What about her? Can she trust a man who will love and cherish her forever? Can she really count on Squall to take care of her and Diana?   
  
Suddenly, the girl pulled away. Squall watched her tears fall from her eyes. He wanted to reach out to her, but it was too late. He could see her running away, from his arms and out of the door of the library. Rinoa didn't know what she was doing. She ran as far away as she could. She has to get back to her baby girl... the only companion in her years of pain and guilt. The only one who will love her.  
  
"RINOA!"   
  
The dark haired girl felt a hand grip on her arm. She twisted around, only to find the one she was running away from. Why of all people does HE have to show up in her life? She wasn't suppose to fall for him. She was only suppose to be 'friends' with him and nothing more. She has to take care of her baby girl. "Please, Squall, let me go!"  
  
"What's wrong with you? Let me help you," she heard Squall say. Rinoa jerked her arm away from him as hard as she could, and that short and abrupt tug forced her to stumble backwards, landing on her rear. Rinoa stayed there for a few minutes, feeling Squall's arm around her waist, helping her up. "What's the matter, Rinoa? Did I hurt you in any way?"  
  
Rinoa gently took Squall's hand away from her and looked up, her eyes now red with sadness. She shook her head."It's not you, Squall. It's..." She looked away, afraid to stare at him in the eyes. Should she tell him? "I have a complicated life. Why are you committing yourself to me already when you don't even know that much about me?"  
  
"Because I know you're a good person, Rinoa and I want to be with you," Squall replied.  
  
The girl looked up, surprised by his answer. Was she really a good person? In his eyes, she was. What will he think if she told him that she had a child with a man who thought to have loved her? A man who promised everything in the world for her? Yet, the only thing HE left for her, was a child, even when she was just a child herself. She struggled through life taking care of the child. She didn't want to give her little Diana up, no matter what people say. Doesn't Squall care about her past? About how she has been living for the past fifteen years? Diana was almost turning one herself in just a month or so.What will she think of her mother when she realizes that she has been living with someone who feels guilty of everything she has done in her life?  
  
Rinoa thought for a moment and backed away from him quickly. She shook her head repeatedly, her tears continuing to fall from her eyes. "You don't know anything about me, Squall. I don't deserve you at all. If you only know the truth..." With that said, the dark haired girl turned and ran.   
  
This time... Squall did not run after her.  
  
***********************  
  
"I'm home!" The dark haired girl smelled something delicious, unlike the usual things she smelled everytime she came home. The smell she endured for months now whenever she opened the door to Patti's home, was the smell of either Diana's diaper or the fresh milk that she probably spilled while trying to drink it. However, it was different this time. The smell of old diapers and spilled milk was gone and replaced with her favorite cookes sausages, delivered straight from Pike Place Fish Market in downtown Seattle. It was famous for its plump and juicy sausages, which Rinoa knows from Patti's stories about her time working as a waitress close to the market. The girl made her way to the kitchen, where she found Diana sitting on a high chair and Patti, with her back to her, cooking the sausages on the stove. Rinoa greeted her daughter with a loving kiss on the head, before sitting down on the empty chair beside her. The baby was playing with the spoon Patti probably gave to her to keep busy so she wouldn't complain about anything. Sometimes, Diana complained almost about everything and that thought made Rinoa laugh.  
  
"How was school?" a voice asked from behind. It took a couple of seconds to realize that she has been thinking for the last couple of seconds she was sitting on the chair. Rinoa looked up as Patti served the plate across from her two sausages, then picked up the plate and placed it in front of the dark haired girl. She then went back to the counter and grabbed a fork, placing it on the plate.   
  
"It was good," she replied, taking the fork from the plate and stabbing the plump sausage with it. She didn't need to tell the woman about her and Squall. Maybe next time...she thought. Usually, she didn't have time to eat lunch that Patti cooked everytime she came home from school, but since the food was quite different from all the other ones, especially since the food is a plump sausage which made her hungry, she thought she should stay for a while and eat. Besides...she had an hour until she had to go to work.  
  
"What time do you have work today?"   
  
The girl chewed the last piece of sausage in her mouth and after a couple of those, she swallowed the piece until she answered, "Five." She dusted off the little chunks of the sausage that fell on her cheerleader skirt and continued eating hungrily.  
  
Patti nodded to her answer and went back to the stove to put the pan back on top and to turn off the heat. When she was finished, she sat down on the table beside Rinoa and watched the young mother and her daughter play with their fingers for a while, until she looked up at the dark haired girl and sighed. "Rinoa, there's something you should know."  
  
Rinoa stopped playing with Diana and looked at Patti. Whenever the woman had that tone of voice, for Rinoa, it didn't sound good. "What is it, Patti?" she asked, with a concerned expression on her face.  
  
The sandy-haired woman brushed a strand of curly hair from her eyes and sighed. "Your daughter she...how should I put this?"  
  
The girl waited patiently.  
  
"She said her first word today!" Patti blurted out, her expression changing from a serious look to a smile.  
  
Rinoa closed her eyes and sighed, smiling. She playfully slapped Patti in the arm and took a long deep breath. "God, Patti! I thought you were going to say something serious!!!!"  
  
Patti laughed. "I'm sorry. It's really cute how you look whenever you're worried! I can't stand it! You look just like my son's daughter!" She glanced at the girl, wondering how she could look like her granddaughter, when her son's daughter was only ten. "Oh come on! You still have that baby look on your face! You look like your ten yourself everytime you smile!"  
  
The dark haired girl didn't know whether to find that as a compliment or an insult, but decided on taking that as a compliment. Realizing she has been sitting here long, she glanced at her watch and was surprised that it was already quarter pass four. She has to pick up a present for Patti before going off to work and then come home with it, wrapped. Standing up, Rinoa leaned down and kissed her daughter on the cheek, before running up the stairs to pick up her uniform. She waved good bye to Patti and to Diana and left the house, thinking about what to get Patti on her fifty second birthday.  
  
**************************  
  
She placed the items inside the plastic bag and gave a sweet smile to the customer, a mother around her thirties, with a seven year old daughter. The little girl, blond and curly, bounced up to her mother and took her hand, with an adorable smile on her face, because she has just gotten a chocolate lollipop from her mommy. Rinoa watched them through the window from the counter, wishing in her heart that she never went with that MAN who told her lies and wishing she never went to the ally to see him there. Guilt still lingered in her heart, but with what she did, she had to pay the price. She has to work hard to pay for her daughter's diapers, food and health care. But whenever she looks in Diana's eyes, she knew she hadn't made a mistake. Having a life into the world made her want to work harder. Diana must be a sign from God for her to work harder in her life, she thought.  
  
"Daddy! Can I have this? Please?" Rinoa jumped away from her train of thought and looked up. A young boy, about ten, jumped up and down, in front of his father, holding some kind of toy robot still wrapped in its plastic cage.   
  
"No," the father simply replied, his back towards Rinoa. The sound of the door opening made the father and his son look up as a woman entered the building, shaking her head unbelievably at the two and approached them. The man and the boy both turned around so Rinoa could see their faces. "Are you spoiling our son again, Ian?" came the woman's voice.  
  
Ian? The man, who was called Robert glaced at Rinoa, his eyes seem to hold some kind of mysterious and familiar energy. Rinoa took a deep breath. His face was vaguely familiar and his eyes...she could never forget such eyes. "Honey? What is it?" his wife asked, turning her head towards Rinoa. The two stared at her for a while, but Rinoa brushed off the awkwardness between herself and the man and smiled.   
  
"Would you like me to find out how much that toy is?" she asked finally.  
  
The man shook his head and turned his eyes away from her, then took the toy away from his son, who pouted and began to cry. His mother placed a hand on his head and smiled. "Sweetheart, I'll get you a toy next time, okay? I'll buy you an even bigger toy than the one on that shelf there." She looked up at the dark haired girl and smiled at her. "Thank you, but I don't think we're buying a toy today. Maybe next time," she spoke. She took her son's hand and led him out the door, followed by her husband, who took another quick look at Rinoa before heading for the door.   
  
"Ian?" Rinoa called, looking at the back of the man's head.  
  
The man paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Is there something you want, Miss?" He stood there for a while, waiting for her to answer.  
  
Rinoa shook her head. "No nothing. I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else," she replied.  
  
Ian nodded, taking her apology and opened the door to meet his family waiting outside. Before they hopped into their black BMW, Ian's wife took one long look at her, before joining her husband and son in the car. Rinoa watched then pull out from the parking space and drive away, with the strangest feeling in her soul, that the man, named Ian, with the familiar name and face was the man she has dreaded and longed to see.  
  
*************************************  
  
Work took longer than she had anticipated. She locked up the building, picked up her backpack which she stuffed her uniform in and started walking into the busiest night of Seattle. It was Wednesday, the middle day of the week, so of course everyone would be running around in stores, preparing their decorations for the upcoming weekend. Wednesdays, stored also closes late. The latest would be at ten o'clock and Rinoa, suddenly realized that she had forgotten to buy a present for Patti. She stopped in front of the clothing's store and peered inside through the glass window and noticed a nice, black poncho that she knew Patti would really love. It was the exact same poncho, maybe except for the neck part that made it look different, that Patti lost from the dog next door, which chewed it all off with one bite and buried the rest deep underground. The poncho was given to her by her son's wife at Christmas and she has always worn it everytime Rinoa saw her, until one fateful night when Patti was drying it up in the clothesline after washing it clean. The dog must have been a high jumper to reach the poncho, or the material must have slipped a little to the other side so the dog was able to get it.   
  
The dark haired girl looked down at the price. She smiled, noticing the price tag on the poncho. She was glad she could afford it. Patti would really love it, she thought. Deciding on the gift, Rinoa went inside the building, purchased it quickly and asked for one of the cashiers to put it in a nice birthday bag. The cashier was a young girl, about her age, who didn't seem to know what she was doing, so Rinoa had to wait a few more minutes, until the Manager of the store joined the girl behind the counter. He apologized to Rinoa about the delay and explained to her, that the girl was in training and he just went out for a couple of minutes to put some items behind the store. Rinoa shook her head and told them it was all right. She wasn't really in a hurry. Not really...   
  
After that nice, short delay, Rinoa was able to get the poncho ready to be unwrapped by Patti. She left the store quickly and took the same route she usually took home. The last place she had to cross, was an ally, a shortcut to Patti's neighborhood. Normally, there wasn't anyone there, but she was startled to find a man there, his back leaned against the pavement. "Oh! I'm sorry! Normally, no one would be here, everytime I took this way."  
  
"Hi, Rinoa," the man spoke.  
  
Rinoa blinked, taking a step back. How did this man know who she was? Then, the thought hit her. "So...Ian, you finally came to see me?"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Ian asked, taking a step forward towards the light so she could see his face. "You following me now, Rinny?"  
  
"Don't call me that!" she hissed. She walked pass him, but Ian had grabbed her by the arm and forced her to look at him. "Stop it, Ian! Aren't you even going to ask how your DAUGHTER is doing?!"  
  
Ian let go of her the moment he heard that word. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about! Your daughter, Diana! Or have you forgotten about her already? You know, you make me sick! You make me pregnant with the lies you told me, left without a word and you didn't have the decency to tell me that you were married and had a son?! GOD!" She slapped his hand away that was ready to grab her arm again and began walking away. "I think you should think about what you did before you come and see her!" Rinoa paused and glanced over her shoulder at him. "IF you want to see her that is!"  
  
"I want to see her, Rinoa," Ian replied. That comment made Rinoa pause in her spot. "I had to leave the following morning because my son had a piano recital and... My wife and I had a fight that morning and... I don't know what I was thinking..."  
  
"Save your excuses later, when I plan on listening!" She turned and left for good.  
  
GoodGurl: Wow! That's something eh? Rinoa's life is even more complicated! She has a great boyfriend, who gives her a promise ring, which she can't accept because she feels guilty for not telling him about her daughter? And...*gasp* What's this? Diana's father shows up unexpectedly?! With a son and a wife as well! What the hell-? Heh heh! Find out next time! ;) 


	6. My Father The Hero

Note: Hi everyone! Woohoo! The last person! Squall! Yeay, the 'hero' of Final Fantasy VIII *snicker.* I'm sorry everyone! I'm so mean! I don't really like Squall that much! That moody boy! But hey, he's hot so I can't complain that much! ;) Ain't Rinoa lucky? LOL. Anyway, here's HIS story. He's a rich boy and yeah...ahem... Here it is! By the way the 'Cloud' mentioned here is NOT the Cloud from Final Fantasy VII. I just picked that name because it fits well with the family name. So...yeah....  
  
Chapter 6 - My Father The Hero  
  
The screen flashed and a man, with long, dark hair appeared in front of the camera. He gave a smile and nodded to everyone present. He took another step to the podium, fixed the microphone in front of him and cleared his throat. "Mayor! Mayor! Could you please tell us more about the development of the new cinema?" came a male reporter's voice.   
  
The man looked up as the same reporter held out his microphone towards him. He nodded and looked up to smile again, but it was cut off, when the television clicked off. The remote control used to turn the t.v. on and off, was thrown angrily on the couch by the young man who was watching the whole thing from his large home. "He cares more about that stupid cinema than me!" he hissed.   
  
"Now, now, sweetheart, you know how important his job is," came a woman's voice from the kitchen. "Marie, could you please put these roses in that nice purple vase from Mexico?"   
  
The boy looked up and noticed his mother walking to the living room to meet him. She gave him a loving hug, before kissing him on the cheek for another greeting. "How was school?"  
  
Squall had no reason to explain everything to her about Rinoa and her rejection towards the promise ring he has waited for a long time to give. His mother always changed the subject when it came to talking about his needs to have a father to always be there. He didn't need to ask her why, because he heard them argue in their bedroom, when his mother told his father about their son's presidential campaign at school. He listened as his father just brushed off the conversation and went straight to bed. His mother decided not to argue about that. She would rather avoid fighting than face divorce, because she loved him very much. Taking a deep breath, Squall shrugged and went back to sit down on the sofa. He was counting on Rinoa to stick by him, unlike the father who was never there for any of the big events where he had to do a speech in front of the entire school. "It was okay," he replied, turning the television back on. The mayor was no longer in front of the camera, but was replaced by his secretary, Moira Gray, further explaining about the production of the new cinema, which will be called, 'Tempest' for some reason. "Why is he calling the cinema, Tempest?" he spoke, frowning in disgust. It was like he favored everything else than his son.  
  
"Who knows, he has this thing about storms. I mean, your name means thunder," his mother explained. "And your brother's name is Cloud. I think he's going somewhere here." She laughed at her own joke and then called for Marie, telling the Spanish born young woman to heat up some tea for her.  
  
Squall sighed. "I know that," he spoke, putting an arm on the back of the seat. He watched as Moira disappeared from view and then the reporter for channel 4 replacing her this time, now in a differnent environment, overlooking the building where his father just made his speech. She lifted the microphone just above her stomach and closed off the report with, 'back to you, Irene.' He pursed his lips together angrily, his mind coming back to Rinoa and the way she was acting today. He turned off the television once again and stood up. "I'm going to pick Cloud up from school," he said.  
  
"Okay. He's at his soccer practice," his mother told him, before he left. "Don't you feed your brother ice cream after! You know how much he loves ice cream after practices! We'll be having dinner soon!" Squall waved silently good bye at his mother and left. He needed fresh air to think. The young boy was just walking across the driveway, when a black Lincoln appeared from the corner. Squall moved out of the way and watched as the car parked in the driveway. The man he saw on the television stepped out of the car and smiled when he noticed Squall standing there, with the usual frown he wore everytime he saw him.   
  
"Come on now, Squall, aren't you going to say hi to your father?" he asked.   
  
"No," he replied coldly, before walking away.  
  
Laguna watched his son go and before he could stop his son, he was already gone. "Welcome home dear," he heard his wife say. The dark haired man turned and grinned, when he noticed his wife, Raine approaching him. He gave her a hug and a kiss, before they both went inside their house to discuss about Squall's 'attitude.'  
  
********************************  
  
The field was full of young kids around nine running around, passing the ball to each other, or each taking shots in the goal post. One boy, with short dark hair kicked one of the many balls bouncing in the field to another boy, with blond hair. Squall watched his brother block the ball that the blond boy kicked back to him. The little boy looked up when he noticed Squall's black, leather coat. He waved at his big brother and smiled, picking up the soccer ball and kicking it far away into the field, making the blond boy pick it up. Squall only nodded at his brother's greeting, his mind still on Rinoa and the promise ring which she rejected. He didn't care how much he bought it for, as long as he sees Rinoa wear it around her finger. Besides, the money wasn't really his. With his dad being the Mayor of the city and having many friends because of it, he didn't really have to 'buy' it from the Gold's Store.   
  
"Squall!" he heard his brother call. The young brunette looked up as Cloud approached him with a smile on his face. "Hey, Squall! We have a game tomorrow night against the Tigers!" The boy watched as his big brother nodded, but he frowned, when he noticed Squall's mind on something else. He could read his big brother like a book. "What's wrong? You're not happy?"  
  
Squall looked down and noticed his little brother's worried look. He petted his brother's head, messing up his dark hair and shook his head reassuringly. "Nah, it's not that." He didn't want his little brother to worry, or he would start blabbing it to his parents. He knew how much of a blabber Cloud was. "I just had a tiring day at school," he explained.   
  
With relief, Cloud nodded and threw the soccer ball at Squall, who caught it with one hand. "Can we go get some ice cream?"  
  
The big brother sighed, thought for a moment, then remembered his mother's warnings about not getting him ice cream. Squall shook his head. "No, mom said you can't have any, because we're having dinner soon. Come on." He turned and walked ahead of his brother, who caught up just in time, before he got too far away. Squall could hear Cloud mutter under his breath how 'uncool' his brother was. The young brunette smiled slightly, shaking his head in disbelief. He stopped and turned to face him. "How about we walk down to Rainbow Roads after dinner and I can treat you to your favorite sundae?"  
  
Cloud's face lit up. "Really?"  
  
Squall couldn't help but reach out and mess up his little brother's dark hair again, which Cloud quickly fixed without any other expression, except a smile on his face. He was too excited about the sundae to worry about his hair. "Yeah, but don't tell mom."  
  
The dark haired boy nodded and put a finger across his lips, as if closing a zipper. "My lips are sealed!"  
  
"Well, they better stay sealed or I WILL sew your lips together." He placed an arm around his little brother's small shoulders and together, they walked back to the Leonhart residence, just ten minutes away from the elementary school. They were greeted by their maid and then by their mother, who gave Cloud wet kisses on the cheeks. ("Moooom!") The young boy slipped away from her, before he got any more wet around his cheeks. Squall sat down on the table, where his father was busy reading the Globe and Mail newspaper across from him. He watched him for a minute, then took his eyes away from him when Cloud and his mother joined them on the table. He heard the rustling of the newspaper and Squall looked up to see his father folding the newspaper back into its original state, his face full of pride.  
  
"Well, Raine, you're going to be so proud of me when you see the cinema open up the same day as Cloud's birthday!" Laguna announced, glancing at his family.   
  
Squall hid a scowl behind his thick, brown hair. Damn him, he thought. His father always found a way to make him feel guilty about everything. HE should be the one to feel guilty. He clenched his fists around the napkin on the table and was unaware that Marie was preparing the food on the table and was also unaware of his brother looking at him with a curious look.   
  
"Squall? What's wrong?" Cloud asked.   
  
The young man looked up, startled at the many faces staring at him. His mother looked up, slightly shaking her head at him, warning him not to make a scene in front of his little brother. "I'm fine, squirt," he replied, forcing a smile on his face. Once again, he ruffled his brother's hair, whom his mother quickly fixed, gently telling Squall not to mess his hair again. "Awwww, mom!" came Cloud's voice in the background. His mother was fixing his hair straight, while Cloud tried desperately to get away from the embarrassment, even though it was just his family watching. Squall knew Cloud was trying to make himself look like a man, even at the age of nine.   
  
"Oh, hey dad!" the little boy spoke again, who was able to get away from his mother's arms. He reached out and tugged at his father shirt, his face beaming with excitement. "I'm playing against the Tigers tomorrow after school! You should come! You should come!"  
  
Squall watched his father shrug off Cloud's hands from his sleeve. He looked down at his son and smiled, shaking his head. "I can't, Cloud. I have business downtown tomorrow and I don't know how long that will take. Maybe you can have Marie tape it for me and I can watch it," he replied.   
  
Cloud's face fell.  
  
The young man felt his face heat up in anger. He clenched his fists tighter and forced himself to calm down. He looked up and reached out once more to ruffle his litlte brother's hair. "Hey, don't worry! I'll come to watch and mom too! At least your games are more important than other businesses in mind," he said, taking a swift glance at his father, who was back at reading the newspaper. He felt a hand on his. Squall looked down and noticed his mother's hand on the clenched hands around the napkin, which was getting wrinkled from his anger. She was looking at him, pleading him with her bright green eyes not to lose his temper. Squall took a deep breath and nodded quietly.   
  
"Really, Squall?" Squall looked at his brother across from him, with hopeful eyes and nodded. Cloud smiled and turned back around to face his dinner.   
  
"Yeah, let your brother go. I would just be a bother if I show up and don't know anything about soccer anyway," Laguna spoke, without even looking at who he was talking to. He flipped the page and jumped, startling his wife and his sons at his sudden impulse. Laguna flipped another page, then went back to the previous one, before showing his family what he was so excited about. 'You wouldn't be a bother, not even to a son who needs you there,' Squall thought. He looked up as his father leaned the newspaper enough so his wife and sons could see what he was looking at. "There! That's the place I'm going to put Tempest in! That's what we're going to be discussing about tomorrow at the meeting!"  
  
"Dear," came Raine's voice. She placed a hand on her husband and smiled. Laguna took his eyes away from her and waited until she said, "You promised Cloud to show up at one of his games."  
  
Laguna glanced at his youngest son, then turned his eyes back at the newspaper. "Did I?" he asked, mostly the newspaper, than his wife. "I'm sorry, Cloud, I know I did, but you have to understand how important this is. When the cinema is done, I promise to show up at ALL your practices?" He glanced at Cloud. "I can then watch all the games Balamb Cheetahs play! "  
  
"You mean, Balamb Lions?" the little boy corrected, his face falling into a frown. Squall couldn't believe it!  
  
His father's eyes widened and nodded, smiling. "Oh right, right! Balamb Lions, that's it! Well, don't you worry, because by the time the Cinema is finished, I can see you play!"  
  
Cloud nodded-- Squall, knowing full well that his little brother was unsure whether their own father would keep to his word. The young man looked at his mother, with total anger, but kept it in check, because he knew that if he lost his temper now, Cloud would be overwhelmed. He knew how sensitive his little brother was. When you're at an innocent age of nine, you'd want to believe that you lived in a perfect family. He also didn't want his brother to worry too much, because there was nothing to worry about anything. He didn't want his nine year old brother to grow white hairs all around his tiny dark head. Burshing doubts aside, Squall glanced at his brother and winked at him. Cloud grinned, showing a set of white pearls where a small green spinach was traped in between the two large teeth at the front. The young man couldn't help but snicker at the appearance. "Hey, squirt, you got spinach on your teeth!" he spoke, grinning. He watched his little brother lean back on his chair, taking a fork to pick on the spinach that was stuck between his teeth. Squall couldn't help but laugh. His mother nudged him on the shoulders, but as he looked up at her, she was trying not to laugh. The young man glanced over at his father, who was too busy reading the newspaper to notice his family. Squall wanted to announce something that will surely break his father's attention from the newspaper, but kept his mouth shut. His mother was watching him too much for him to continue with his decision.   
  
After a moment or so of silent eating, Squall excused himself and left for bed early. He couldn't stand it everytime his father had papers on the table, his eyes reading the information on it, instead of paying attention to his family. He would sometimes mention some of the things he read outloud and even though none of his sons cared, he continued anyway, explaining about how the sewers near Pike Place Fish Market needed to be replaced because it was starting to fill up with raw fish smell. Squall had always known that his father wants to make everyone in the city happy and he cared for them, unlike most mayors who cared only about publicity, but sometimes his father cared TOO much for the city that he would neglect his family a lot and it made him mad. He has always known that Laguna Loire worked really hard to take care of his family, but being his son, was even hard work. During his first years of his life, Squall worked really hard to impress his father, but nothing seemed to worked. When he started going to school, he worked hard on his english so he could be better in writing and speaking his speeches. Those were the days before his father started running for Mayor. He was originally a rich man, born from a rich family, but never really used the money. Squall even dreamt of being a Mayor someday, but as he grew, when high school hit, his dreams were shattered when his father started using his skills and ran for Mayor of the city. He started getting busier and busier as days went by, then weeks, months and then years. His mother had his second baby when Laguna Loir won the election and Cloud grew up knowing that knowledge, but not knowing that his father will always be too busy for both him and his big brother.   
  
As he started walking up the stairs, he heard another pair of footsteps behind him. Squall turned and noticed Cloud following him with a bright smile on his face. The young man paused at the top of the stairs and looked down curiously. "What?"  
  
Cloud frowned. "You promised!" he whispered, glancing over at his mother, who wasn't paying attention to what they were doing.   
  
Squall stared at him for a moment, then, remembering what he promised his little brother a while ago about getting him ice cream, he sighed, stuffing his hands in his pant pockets and walked back down the stairs with Cloud. He reentered the kitchen a few seconds later and told both his parents he was taking Cloud for ice cream. Knowing full well that Squall told him it was a secret, Cloud tugged at his big brother's shirt gently and looked up curiously. Squall placed a hand on his forehead and smiled. "Mom, dad, we're going to Rainbow Roads to get ice cream that I promised Cloud."  
  
The only one who actually looked up was their mother, who gave them a great big smile a nod of approval. They waited until their father waved their hands in agreement, his eyes never taking off the papers in front of him. Squall held his anger inside and glanced at his little brother, who was looking at him with a great big smile. He ruffled his hair, then pointed towards the door with a slight nod of his head to the left and led the way out of the house. He glanced at his father before closing the door behind them and felt his face go red, noticing the Mayor of Seattle, his face still glued to his task.  
  
****************************  
  
He had forgotten that the Seattle Mayfair started at this day. Rows and rows of rides gleamed all around them. Squall couldn't hold Cloud down by the time they got in. They had to pass the Mayfair in order to go to the Rainbow Road Ice Cream shop and the gleaming, holiday lights had caught the young boy's attention. He had no other choice but to follow Cloud inside, to make sure no one would snatch him away. Squall walked just slightly behind his little brother, watching him stumble from one game to another. On one game, he begged Squall to play and win so he can get a fake water gun, but he refused, because when he looked at his watch, it was almost nine and they had to get back before their mother starts to get worried. When he mentioned that to his little brother, Cloud gave him a disappointed look and for the rest of the evening, even after getting him his favorite ice cream (Chocolate Chip Cookies), he was quiet on their way home. Squall could no longer take the silence anymore, so he paused and faced his brother.  
  
"Hey, the Seattle Mayfair will be there tommorrow and tomorrow's Saturday. I'll take you down here when game's over okay?" Once more, he ruffled his brother's hair, who looked up with the same gleaming face of excitement. Squall stuffed his hands in his pockets and finished the ice cream (Chocolate Chip Mint) in his hand. They walked back down home, too busy eating their ice cream to talk.   
  
They made it back just in time before their mother got so worried. They were only gone for half an hour and it would have been longer if they stayed for the Mayfair and Squall would have been the one their mother yelled at for staying out too long. She was the first one to greet them back. Squall had asked where their father was, because he had disappeared from the dining room and his mother explained that he was in his study, reading over the fax his secretary sent over about a mob of people protesting to stop cutting down the trees down at the Sayamoo Hills. He took a quick glance at his little brother, who had finished licking off the ice cream that fell around his fingers, pretending the little boy didn't hear anything about his father caring more about the trees or the other people than he did with his sons. But Squall knew Cloud was hurting. Just like he had when Laguna stopped going to all his school presidential meetings. Laguna doesn't even know the name of his youngest son's team and that thought made Squall wince. What kind of a father would forget his own son's soccer team name?  
  
The worst kind, he answered in his head.  
  
GoodGurl: WOoh! Finally finished the last character! Yes, obviously all the characters have problems, but where would dis story go if they didn't? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Squall's story! So...well he doesn't really have a HUGE problem, other than the fact that Rinoa won't tell him why she didn't accept his promise ring, but he does have a problem with his father, who won't even pay attention to everything his sons does....dang Lagun! :S Okies, dats all kids! See ya next time! ;) 


	7. To be or not to beUnboring

Note: I am sooo excited finally to continue on with this story with all the awesome reviews I had. Thanx you guys! My goal is to reach up to more than sixty, which seems to be the only amount I can get. Come on everyone! Where are those, Zelphie, Seiftis and Squinoa fans? My goal is to reach two hundred! The largest review I had was 135, but I want more this time! Geez, I am so demanding! ^_^; Let me reach 600! Hah hah! ;) Okay, this chapter will show you more of Sean Trepe's personality and the things he's going through from his point of view, but it has more Seiftis in it, so don't worry.  
  
Chapter 7 - To Or Not To Be..Unboring  
  
The rare afternoon sun brightened the dimly lit classroom on the second floor. As he entered, he expected a boy with impossible round, thick glasses rested upon his nose, wearing trousers that were two sizes too small. However, what he witnessed was a familiar young woman he saw three times at least on one day, sitting patiently on a desk, two rows behind. She looked up at the sound of his footsteps entering the room. He noticed that she was as surprised as he was.   
  
"Ah, I'm glad you could make it, Mr. Almasy," came the sound of Ms. Fisher's voice. Seifer removed his attention from the girl and made a slight nod towards the teacher. Ms. Fisher moved to his side, glancing at the blond girl, then at Seifer. "You might recognize Quistis from your math class," she spoke.  
  
Seifer nodded, but said nothing. He was still unsure whether he will continue to have a tutor after this. However, if it was his only excuse not to go home early, to a mother who didn't care about him, he would certainly take advantage of the opportunity. He moved to sit beside the girl, choosing a desk to her right and sat down slowly, the uneasiness of being this close to a girl growing larger. It was different when sitting beside a girl in class, but this- this was different. He has never been ALONE with a girl. He wouldn't know how to handle women if his life depended on it. His mother had done a great job not telling him anything about relationships between a man and a woman. That's why he stayed away from being friends with females, because to him...they were troublesome. Even worse...HE was troublesome to THEM.   
  
"Well, I'll leave him in your hands, Ms. Trepe," came Ms. Fisher's voice, interrupting Seifer's thoughts. She picked up her binder, paper after paper stuffed inside, which were about to fall out and slung her black saddle bag on her shoulder. "Charlie will be cleaning at this hour in this area, so when you're finished, you can tell him to lock up after."  
  
"Thanks, Ms. Fisher," Quistis said, watching as the woman closed the door behind her.   
  
Suddenly, there was a silence in the room. Neither side spoke until the bright sunlight, which found its way on Quistis' shoulder and moved to warm her eyelids, startled her from her reverie. She looked to her side, managing a slight smile to her face towards the blond boy sitting beside her. "Well uh..." She glanced on the desk, where his math book was laying.  
  
Automatically, Seifer opened it, not caring what page it turned to and waited for her instructions, even though he felt annoyed of having to wait until she talked. He was still feeling rather awkward.   
  
"What do you have a problem on?" she asked, finally finding the courage to speak. The blond girl was thinking of thanking him for helping her earlier in the cafeteria, while he thought about her question, but decided against it. Quistis was quite surprised when the only possible answer he could muster was a shrug, before saying, "I don't know."  
  
"Well, how about we start in the first chapter?" she retorted, moving the book so it was facing her. She flipped through the pages, once in a while, glancing at Seifer in the corner of her eye.   
  
Seifer, whoever, was too busy watching the clock on the wall to notice, thinking about that same gut feeling he felt the moment he sat down beside her. He should say something, but the only thing that came out was a sniff. Whether the girl mistook that as a cold or something else, he wouldn't know, because she was too occupied with the math book in front of her to notice.  
  
When she found the page, she stopped flipping, read the text to make sure it was the right one and looked up, nodding as if telling him to look. Seifer glanced at the large printed numbers on the book, having to slightly turn his head to the side, still feeling uncomfortable, noticing the complicated formula, he swore he'd seen before. He looked up at the girl curiously. "What the hell is this?" the blond said, for the first time.   
  
Quistis shrugged. "Well, I thought maybe we should just start on the first page, since you don't know what you're having trouble on."  
  
He was going to say something else, wanting to protest with the attitude she was giving him, but closed his mouth once again. Calmly, he leaned back on his seat and gestured for her to go on. As if in reply, the blond girl moved a little bit closer, feeling confident to share her knowledge to an 'unfortunate' boy and moved the book towards Seifer, enough so they could both see, while she showed him what to do. Seifer attentively listened, trying to catch every word she said the moment she started speaking. Even though she was very attractive in his eyes, he was quite unimpressed with what she was doing at that point. He felt his weight sagging on the seat, finally feeling rather foolish of wanting to stay after school for something like THIS. He expected her to be more exciting in explaining the math problems, but all he could hear was her, dragging on and on about carrying a certain number and then dividing it and then... Seifer couldn't remember what else she said after that, because her voice was drowned out by a constant humming in the blond boy's head, which was his only way to drown out the noise. He decided to think about something else, or maybe let her know how bored he was getting after she finished explaining.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Quistis leaned back to look at the young man beside her, but frowned when he noticed him with his arms folded and his eyes closed. She stared at him for a while, until she noticed him opening his eyes to look at her. Her frown grew wider. "Haven't you been listening to a word I said?" she said, rather disappointed.  
  
Seifer looked at her tiredly. "No," he simple said.  
  
Quistis was taken aback by his answer, that she was speechless. "Wh- why not?"  
  
The blond boy sighed and stared into her eyes. "Because...you're...boring," he replied. He watched as she continued to stare at him, probably still stunned with his reply earlier. Quistis couldn't believe what she was hearing. All the other students she tutored listened to everything she said and there were no problems after that. She felt him standing up, ready to leave and heard him speak again. "What, is your dream to become a teacher or something?"   
  
The blond girl looked up and made her frown even known. "How can I be boring? All the students I tutored were fine with the way I talked." She stood up as well, looking at Seifer straight in the face. She felt heat rising up around her cheeks in frustration. Did she hear right? Was this the guy who helped her in the cafeteria earlier, without hesitating to stand up against the bitchiest girl ever? The guy she was infatuated with? She thought he was one of those nice guys who didn't care who she was. Her thoughts of him being so kind and generous faded away, instead, they were replaced by the words, 'rude, obnoxious and a total jerk.'   
  
"Why? Did they end up in the mental hospital after that?" the blond man spoke, folding his arms once more. He shuffled his weight to his left leg and smirked, waiting for her response.  
  
Quistis felt her face reddening even more. "And to think I was going to thank you for helping me this afternoon! I thought you were nicer than that, but now I know your true colours!"   
  
Seifer smirked again and leaned closer, his eyes seething with malice. "What are you going to do about it?"  
  
"The question is...what are YOU going to do about it if I stop tutoring you? Are you going to threaten me like Bobby Hill?" Quistis knew she had hit the spot, because Seifer's face was suddenly replaced with hurt. He leaned away from her and turned towards the door. Without another word, he walked away. Quistis regretted of ever saying that, but she was too angry to care.  
  
"HEY! Wait a minute!" Seifer gritted his teeth impatiently at the sound of her voice. He needed to get away fast. He didn't need this tutorial. It was impossible to listen to someone as boring as her. He turned around and was startled to feel something hard hit his chest. In instinct, he moved his hand to feel a hard, cover book beaming up at him. "You forgot your stupid book, you jerk!"  
  
Seifer mumbled a thank you, about to leave, but the blond girl had other things to say and wouldn't let him go when she spoke again. "The nerve of you talking to me like that, while I decided to help someone as, rude (poke), loud (poke), conceited (poke) and as obnoxious (poke) as you!" With every lude word she could think of, she poked the young man in the chest with her finger as hard as she could. She stood there for a minute, rolled up her sleeve of her tanned jacket and was unaware of the bruises that grabbed the blond man's attention. Noticing his curious look, Quistis looked down at the bunch of bruises on her arm and covered them back with her sleeves. She had forgotten they were still there. "I'll show you how UN-boring I can be! Show up at the tutorial tomorrow and I'll MAKE you listen!" With that said, she turned on her heel and left, fixing the strap of her back pack on her shoulders, ignoring the silence that passed between them just now.  
  
The blond young man watched her go, still thinking about those bruises he just saw on her arms. He was quite surprised that BOTH her arms had bruises on it and he couldn't get the curiousity out that was gnawing at his heart.   
  
"She was quite a looker," came someone's voice from behind. "It's a shame if you two don't get together. I mean, you need a girlfriend, Seifer."  
  
Seifer adjusted the book in his arms and glanced over his shoulder. A man around his mid fifties, with balding head and round glasses was just unlocking the door that led to the brooms and mops to clean the whole school and had heard all the remarks the blond girl had said to him. The blond young man gritted his teeth, trying to shove away the thoughts of those bruises and turned around to face the janitor. "Stay out of this, Charlie," he said firmly. He walked pass the skinny man and went the other way, so he wouldn't bump into the girl. He knew she went the same way he did, but he had shortcuts of his own back to his house that no one knew about.  
  
****************************  
  
She was about to explode, about to go back to where that, tall, blond and quite handsome boy was and give him more of a piece of her mind. The seventeen year old girl found the front door open when she stuffed her key inside the key hole and with that knowledge, she twisted the door open and stepped inside. All her anger joined her inside as well.   
  
"Is that you, Quistis?" came her Aunt's voice from the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah, it is, Aunt," the girl mumbled. Quistis went to the kitchen, where she found her Aunt preparing an early dinner. She glanced at the watch behind her and noticed that it was only four o'clock in the evening, which was unlikely, because usually, her Aunt Charlotte prepared dinner every five o'clock. She was an hour ahead. However, despite the questions in her head about dinner, she could not get the thought of Seifer's words away from her mind. BORING? Quistis moved to sit down on one of the chairs and plopped down loudly, her face kept into a scowl, wishing she could stuff the blond boy's head down a toilet.   
  
"Hey, Quistis, you all right?"  
  
The blond girl looked up. She had no idea that her cousin was already there, eating the dinner that his mother prepared for them. Quistis' scowl quickly died away, trying her best to replace it with something else, but everytime her mind went back to Seifer Almasy, it continued. Travis had seen it and so did her Aunt. "What's wrong Quistis?" her Aunt questioned. Both the mother and son stared at her. Suddenly, she was feeling small.  
  
"I had a bad day," Quistis finally said, frowning. She watched as Travis and Aunt Charlotte nodded, then continued on with their dinner. The blond girl could hear the mashed potatoes being mixed with onions on the pan and could smell the chicken roasting inside the stove. Suddenly, she was hungry. Her Aunt Charlotte gave her a plate and a fork and served her mashed potatoes and gave her one corn on the cob. She thanked the woman quietly, her mind still seething with anger towards the seventeen year old boy and began eating her mashed potatoes. She had to get going on her work if she wants to show Seifer how UN-boring she was. She didn't have time to wait for the good tasting chicken.   
  
"A bad day? On your first day of school?" Aunt Charlotte asked.  
  
Quistis nodded, stuffing a little too much mashed potatoed in her mouth. She coughed and swallowed quickly, much to her Aunt and cousin's surprise and looked up. "Well, the first few hours weren't bad, but after school I had to tutor someone and he's the most arrogant, most obnoxious guy I have EVER met."   
  
No one said anything as they both waited for her to continue explaining, but was disappointed when Quistis hastilly finished her mashed potatoes and quickly stood up. "Sorry I can't talk right now. I have to get going on my homework," she said, turning around and leaving the kitchen. Aunt Charlotte glanced down at her plate. There was only the corn on the cob left on it, which her niece didn't even bother to look at and the chicken still roasting inside the stove.   
  
When she made it back in her room, Quistis closed the door behind her and headed for her desk, a large, wooden desk, with its paint peeling off. Every time she moved on it, the desk would start squeaking, which she could care less about. Right now, her mind was set on showing Seifer Almasy that she was no dull person to be around with. She took out her cue cards from her backpack, setting aside the notes she took from Biology class and put the empty ones on the table, then fished around for pen and highlighters from her Badtz Maru pencil pouch. When she found them, she took them out, made herself comfortable on the chair and began her work.  
  
Her math book, with two pages of homework to be done by tomorrow was laying on her bed...not opened.  
  
**********************  
  
The night was suddenly becoming warm. May was suddenly approaching and he couldn't believe the changes that took place from winter to spring. The chill wind was evident during winter and snow had fallen during the first few weeks of January. He remembered being home, just thinking about those winter days when he was happy with his wife, her eyes shining with gratitude as they sat in front of the fire. She said something to him, but he was too mesmerized by the way her face shone even in the darkest shadows of the room. He held her tight, wished she would stay with him forever, but it would not last long. She came to him, told him that she was pregnant a month later, much to his shock. It was his fault of ever agreeing to become a father to the baby, when it was the baby's fault that she died, leaving him alone to wither in pain and regret.   
  
Sean Trepe swallowed his last ounce of torture down with one gulp and slammed the glass down on the counter. The sound of hollow voices suddenly became clear- men and women. Then, there were cheers. He looked over his shoulder to see what the commotion was about and found a television, just hanging at the corner of the wall, showing baseball. It was the Seattle Mariners playing against the Boston Red Sox.   
  
"You want another shot of whiskey, sir?" came a young man's voice. The sandy haired man turned back around, twisting his seat towards the counter and looked up at the source of the voice. He was around twenty three, still young and handsome. He had blue eyes and messy, black hair. He could pass for a seventeen year old if he wanted to, because the young man was short for his age. Sean could see himself for a moment, but shoved it away deep into his memories.   
  
He pushed his glass closer and nodded. "Give me beer this time, young man," he said.  
  
"You can call me Erik," the boy spoke, grinning. He picked up Sean's glass and reached behind the counter for a beer and poured some into his glass, then handed it back to the man. Sean slowly lifted the glass into his lips and began drinking. "Are you from around here?" Erik asked, finding a good conversation.  
  
Sean shook his head, putting his beer back down. "Nah. I just moved just today from Chicago with my daughter."  
  
The moment he heard the word, 'daughter,' Erik suddenly became interested. Sean noticed this and he quickly shook his head. "I don't think you're good enough, Erik. She's only seventeen."  
  
Erik nodded calmly, quite disappointed and picked up an empty glass, cleaning it with the towel he had on his shoulder inside out. He listened as Sean continued to talk, this time, in a different tone. The boy knew now that the whiskey and beer were taking effect. "In fact, my daughter was the reason my wife died." He laughed bitterly.   
  
The young man paused from what he was doing and looked up, quite stunned by his words. Erik suddenly felt disturbed where this was going.  
  
"Yep! My dear, sweet Quistis killed my beautiful Flora the minute she came into this world." He finished the last drop of beer and pushed it towards Erik once more. "Give me another batch of beer."  
  
"I think you've had enough, sir," Erik spoke, his voice seem so hollow in Sean's ears.   
  
Sean slammed a hand down the counter, making the young man flinch, but Erik stood his ground. How could a father say awful things about his daughter? "Give me more beer, you asshole!"  
  
Erik frowned, insulted by Sean's words and looked over his shoulder at the security guards who had noticed the whole scene. He nodded at them and the two, large men approached Sean cautiously. "Sir, these men will take you home now," he said. He couldn't stand it whenever someone said awful things about their children. He couldn't, because they were the same words his own father used on him when his mother died.  
  
Sean felt two, large arms grabbing his skinny ones. He shoved them away with his weight and turned around, his face reddening with anger. "I asked for more beer! I'm a customer here you jerks! Don't I have the right for more beer!?" But none of the men listened. They advanced towards him and seized him both by the arms once more. Sean, this time did no struggle as he was led out the door. He mumbled some cursed words towards the guards as they helpd him inside the passenger seat of his own car. One of the guards joined him in the driver's seat, taking the keys from his pockets, despite Sean's mumbled protests and started the engine. "I'll take him home," the largest guard said to the smaller one.   
  
The last time Sean heard was the car starting and the car pulling out of the parking space, before he collapsed on the seat for a long nap.  
  
*************************  
  
"Hey! What the hell are you doing sitting around for? I made dinner!" came a hoarse voice from the behind him. Seifer looked up and noticed his mother standing there with a sneer on her face. He took one glance at her, then looked away. He could hear his mother snort and then could hear her footsteps disappear into the kitchen.   
  
Then, there was a knock on the door.  
  
Seifer sighed, grunting as he got up from the couch. He went to the door and answered it, quite surprised as a familiar man stood there, smiling. The blond young man was stunned by his father's sudden appearance. "What do you want?" he asked, quite rudely. He didn't want to deal with this right now, not with many things in his mind.   
  
Bryan Almasy was a short blond man with a shiny bald head, making people wonder where Seifer got his genes from. Despite his height and his hair, Bryan was quite handsome for his age, with kind, deep, green eyes. He smiled slightly, taken aback by his son's rude greeting and stepped inside, just as he had before everytime he visited. He missed the house so much that Bryan didn't care to wait until Seifer invited him in. "Nice to see you too, Seifer." The bald man looked around, taking in the scene of the living room. He heard a quiet gasp from somewhere and Bryan looked in front of him to find his ex-wife Lynette gaping at him. "Hi Lynette," he greeted.  
  
Lynette made a gesture to straighten her skirt up, even though there was nothing wrong with it and smiled. "What- what are you doing here, Bryan?" she asked.  
  
Bryan looked at his son, who was hovering behind him and nodded. "Son, I came here just to ask you something."  
  
Seifer frowned, turned away and sat down on one of the steps on the stairs, then looked back up at his father. It was his way to tell him to continue talking. "Well, this weekend, my wife and your sister and I, are going to Mount Everest and stay over at the lodge and I was wondering if you would like to come with us this weekend. That is..." Bryan looked up at Lynette. "If it's all right with you, Lyn."  
  
Lynette glanced at her son.   
  
"I'm not sure, dad," Seifer replied.  
  
Bryan's face fell, but continued to smile. His hopes hadn't died yet. "Well, I'll give you until Friday to decide. Halle is really eager to see you and I'm sure you'd like to meet your little sister, Dominique!"  
  
Seifer thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fine, I'll think about it."   
  
The bald man looked at him, then at Lynette and opened the front door. "I hope you decide to come, Seifer. This would give us a chance to bond as father and son again." With that said, he turned and left, leaving an angry Lynette and a confused Seifer.   
  
"You'll think about it?" Lynette squeaked. Her hopes of Seifer hating his father died.   
  
"Just because he left us and married someone else, Lynette, doesn't mean I'll drive him away from my life," he said coldly.   
  
Stunned, Lynette didn't say anything and watched as Seifer stood up and walked up the stairs.  
  
**************************  
  
"Here!" She slammed the many cue cards against his chest angrily. "You go over this and I'll give you a small quiz after school!" With that said, Quistis Trepe turned and left a bewildered Seifer to wonder what was in her head. Swearing, Seifer looked down at the cue cards in his hands and looked over it, his face scrunching from anger, to confusion. He looked up and watched Quistis disappear through the crowd, then went back to looking over the cue cards she slammed towards him. Pages and pages of notes were visible on the cue cards, each heading highlighted with different colors. Instead of actual formulas, there were hand drawn pictures of stick figures forming into their own formulas, some of which made Seifer smirk. He turned towards the direction of his English class, while he continued to read through the notes, the stick figures and the other attempted pictures she drew, which were really amusing him at that moment.   
  
"Mr. Almasy, I don't see you hurrying into class," came Mr. Adler's voice ahead. Seifer, who was entranced by Quistis' attempt to be 'Un-boring,' looked up from the cue cards and frowned at the tall, lanky man standing by the door. The blond man sighed, stuffed the cue cards in his coat pocket and joined Mr. Adler inside his English class. For Seifer, English was his one of his favorite subjects, other than Automotive, where he had to fix cars and drive some to test them out. It was one of his best classes. English, on the other hand, they were doing a study on Hamlet, which, to his opinion was Shakespear's best work yet, aside from MacBeth and Romeo and Juliet. He enjoyed learning about Hamlet's personality, even though Seifer barely shows the excitement on his face.   
  
The blond boy sat down on his usual seat, at the very back of the class and took out the cue cards from his pocket. While the students were filing inside, Seifer smirked at the amusing pictures Quistis drew, flipped through all the pages, expecting to see more pictures, but when he got to the middle section, the pictures became less and less visible. At the very back, the pictures completely disappeared. He figured Quistis probably wanted him to REALLY study for her so called quiz she was going to give him. Disappointed, Seifer stuffed the cards back in his pocket and took out his Hamlet book from his backpack, then began to read. He heard Mr. Adler closing the door, but Seifer was suddenly thinking about his father's request to make him come to the Lodge this coming weekend. He wanted to go, yes, but he was unsure about meeting Halle and Dominique. He wanted to spend quality time with his father. He might have said that the Lodge trip was their chance to bond, but with Halle and Dominique around, Seifer was unsure if it was possible.  
  
"Please hand in your Hamlet essay," Mr. Adler spoke, looking around the class.  
  
Seifer sighed, waving the thoughts away from his head and took out his homework from his backpack. He put them on his desk and waited until Mr. Adler went around the class, picking up each essay homework. Mr. Adler, who was surprised at Seifer for handing out his homework at the right date, gave the blond an approving smile. Awkwardly, Seifer nodded and looked away, turning his face towards the window. It was going to be a long day, he thought.  
  
*****************  
  
"The nerve of him!" Quistis joined her friends later that afternoon at lunch.   
  
"What's the matter?" Selphie asked, looking at her friend.  
  
The blond girl looked up, the frown never leaving from her face. She took a bite out of her sandwich, which her Aunt Charlotte made this morning and put it down on the plastic container it was kept in. She wiped away the crumbs hastilly, her mind flickering from her father, who was found drunk by Aunt Charlotte just outside their door and to Seifer, the boy who insulted her. "Seifer Almasy!" she hissed. She folded her arms across her chest and sneered when she saw Seifer walk by. "I thought he was a nice guy, but nooooo! He's a total jerk!"  
  
Rinoa and Selphie looked at each other, then burst into fits of giggled. Quistis raised an eyebrow and looked at her two friends.   
  
"That's Seifer for you," Rinoa replied.  
  
"What is that suppose to mean?" Quistis said, curiously.  
  
"Well, Seifer DOES have a reputation of being a total jerk. That's who he is!" Selphie replied. "Did you really expect him to be such a goodie goodie?"  
  
Quistis rolled her eyes. "I thought he was."  
  
"What did he say to make you so mad, Quisty?" Rinoa asked.  
  
Quistis was distracted by Rinoa's nickname for her, that she had forgotten what to say. She looked at the raven haired girl and stared at her curiously. "Quisty?"  
  
Rinoa shrugged.  
  
Shaking the thought away, the blond girl frowned again and stared back at Seifer, who had disappeared as usual at the back of the building. "He said I was boring. Am I boring?" She glanced back at her two friends.  
  
Rinoa and Selphie looked at each other.  
  
Quistis couldn't believe her eyes. "You think I'm boring?"   
  
"Well...yeah," Selphie finally replied.  
  
"How am I boring? Am I holding some kind of dull expression on my face?" She unfolded her arms and waited for her friends' answers.  
  
"Well.." Rinoa looked away.  
  
"I don't believe this! Of all people to say I'm boring! I'm leaving." Quistis picked up her lunch, stood up and left so fast, that she bumped into Squall, who was just joining the girls to the table.   
  
"Quistis! Come on, we're sorry!" Rinoa called after her. "What's the matter with her?" She glanced at her friend.  
  
Selphie shrugged. "I better go after her, before she starts hitting Seifer square in the face. I swear, I think she's the only one who can stand up to the guy." She giggled, before she left Rinoa and Squall alone once again to catch up to Quistis.   
  
The blond girl hadn't gone too far. Selphie found her fuming in anger, sitting underneath the single tree present in the back terrace of the school. She was eating her lunch there, her mind probably still thinking about the abominable Seifer Almasy. Quistis looked up at the sound of Selphie's footsteps and frowned. "Am I THAT boring to you, Selphie?"  
  
Selphie shook her head. "Course not! We're sorry we said that, Quisty."  
  
Quistis frowned at her nickname again. "Don't call me that."  
  
"Sorry." The brunette sat down beside the blond and watched her eat quietly for a while, before she spoke again. "Besides, didn't you show Seifer how Un-boring you were? You told me you did something to make the tutorial more interesting for him."  
  
Quistis nodded. "Yeah, well, I'm not sure if it even worked. If I want to be a teacher, Selphie, I want my students to be more interesting and Seifer...he crushed my dream of becoming one."  
  
Selphie wrapped her arms around her and shook her head. "He's just a jerk and a half! Don't listen to anything he says! Just do your best at it!"  
  
Comforted by her words, Quistis sighed and continued to eat her sandwich silently. Selphie watched her, without a word and they sat there as silently as possible.  
  
GoodGurl: WOAH! Long one! I'm finally done this chapter! So...how long can Quistis and Seifer stand each other? Did Seifer REALLY find Quistis boring or attractive? Hm...o_O Will he go to the weekend trip with his father and meet his step mother and step sister? Will he ever find out the source of Quistis' bruises? And Quistis... will she make Seifer show how 'Un-boring' she was with the cue cards she gave him? Hm...SO many questions! Stay tuned! 


	8. A Perfect World

GoodGurl: HI everyone! Sorry to make you wait for the next chapter of this 'wonderful' story! ^_^ Heh heh! Anyway, so, the last time with Selphie and Zell, Selphie found out about his 'dope' in his jacket pocket. Will she really tell him now or wait until it gets worse? o_O Hm............Go ahead and read!  
  
Chapter 8 - A Perfect World  
  
The sunlight was just greeting her with the warmth that soothed every inch of her body. It has been terribly chilly for the last couple of days in the first two weeks of April. Everyone expected the day to be bright and sunny, instead of the winter coldness in the middle of spring. Selphie walked down the hallway, eager for lunch to come so she could talk to Zell. Last week, ever since learning of Zell's 'new habit' she has been replaying the thought over and over again on how to approach him, careful not to offend him in anyway. She was just passing people she knew, waving at them, greeting them with her soft voice, while at the same time putting one hand in her jacket pocket to make sure the 'item' she found from Zell's jacket was still in there. When she turned the corner, the last thing she remembered was bumping into something blue and white. Selphie came flying down towards the floor, but never made it there, when strong arms caught her just in time.   
  
"Woah! Selphie, you all right?" came a familiar voice.  
  
"Yeah, thanks, Kent." Selphie nodded and when she reached into her pocket to make sure it was still there, she was shocked to find nothing. The girl looked down and found the white tube laying there on the floor. She made a move to get it, before anyone could see it, but the person who had caught her, saw it first and was already bending down to pick it up.  
  
Kent Marshall stared at the item in his hand and stared at Selphie curiously. "What's this? Why do you have this, Selph?"  
  
Selphie frowned, lifting a hand to get it from him, but Kent had lifted it away from her reach. "It's nothing." She tried again, but Kent was much taller that Selphie was unable to do it twice.  
  
Kent looked around and when no one was looking, he pulled Selphie aside, just to a corner between the wall and the lockers. "It's not nothing. Where did you get this?"  
  
"Why do you care?" She glared at Kent suspiciously. "From Zell's pocket. Did you give this to him? I mean I can understand it's yours and Zell was just holding it for you and..." she stopped talking when Kent held up his hand to stop her.  
  
The dark hared boy looked around again, making sure that no one was passing by to hear their conversation and frowned, still holding the pot in his hand. "It's definitely not mine, Selphie. But if you were Zell's best friend, then you would mind your own business, instead of prying into his. I mean what kind of best friend are you just taking this from his pocket without asking him?" Kent had a stern tone in his voice, which Selphie has never heard from him before. True, she disliked Kent very much, because he was a bad influence on her childhood friend, but she always took the time to get to know Kent, just for Zell's sake.  
  
Selphie said nothing.   
  
Suddenly, Kent's voice turned soft and friendly again, though Selphie could tell he was just trying to get into her good side so she wouldn't say anything to the principal that Kent was the one who had put the marijuana in the first place and was the one who influenced Zell to start the habit. Selphie simply refused to accept that Zell was doing these things. If he did, she would be the first one to know and he would tell everything to her. "Look Selphie, just be a good girl for once and be quiet with this. Zell's going through some things that's hard for him to tell you, that's why he never told you anything."  
  
The girl shook her head. "What are you talking about? He's not doing it... I mean, he would tell me right away and-" She stopped suddenly, when Kent's hand slammed against the wall behind her. Selphie winced, holding her breath and looked hard into Kent's eyes. There was something in them that frightened her, but she didn't want to show it to him. He knew better than to hurt Zell's best friend.   
  
He leaned closer, his breath tickling his ears. "You don't get it do you?" Kent whispered in her ear. "Because you're living in such a perfect world, you don't see anything that he's going through. If you were his best friend, then you would have been able to read inside the pain and guilt he's going through right now. I think it's time that he think twice on who he should consider as his 'best friend!'" With the last word, he slammed his hand hard on the wall and left for good, carrying with him the item that he took from Selphie. He stuffed it in his pocket and left the building.  
  
Selphie exhaled. For those minutes that Kent had her trapped in the corner, she was holding her breath the whole time. She could have died then and there just by doing something simple to get away from, but she didn't. She would have died to something more horrible than an easy breath... her death could have been result of Kent's fists against her face. Perfect world? she thought. Why would he think that? She didn't live in a perfect world. Not one bit.  
  
***********************  
"Garrett?" An eight year old girl poked her head through the opened door and looked inside. She saw her older brother hunched over a table, with his back towards her. Selphie couldn't tell what he was doing. She stepped inside and made her presence known, by calling his name again. Garrett didn't respond. Frightened that he probably stopped breathing because of his asthma, Selphie approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Garrett?"  
  
Suddenly, his head sprung up. The boy turned around, but it wasn't Garrett staring at her. It was his best friend, Alex Whitcomb. "Oh, hey Selphie! What's up?"  
  
Selphie looked around, hoping to find her older brother getting out of his bathroom, but after a couple of seconds or so, he didn't come out. She gave Alex a wondering look. "Where is Garrett?" she asked in her small voice. She looked pass Alex to see what he was doing on the table, but he moved to the side, just enough so she couldn't see what he was doing. Selphie, however, possessed fast eyes that she was able to see what was on the table. There was something white and powdery on a piece of paper ripped from a newspaper on the table and she also noticed two straws beside them.   
  
Alex laughed. "Oh, he's probably still at the store getting something to eat."  
  
"But... Our mom told me to get him for dinner. Why would he get something to eat now?" Selphie asked. "What are you doing?"  
  
Alex smiled and shook his head. "Nothing. Your brother and I are experimenting something."  
  
"What are you experimenting?" Selphie moved closer, but Alex had quicker hands. He folded the piece of paper with the powder on it and stuffed it quickly inside the drawer beside him. He turned around and shook his head again.   
  
"I don't think you'll be interested in it anyway."  
  
Selphie stared at him suspiciously. "Hey squirt, what are you doing in my room without asking for permission?" The girl felt a hand patting her head. Selphie looked up and saw her brother smiling down at her.   
  
"Mom told me to get you for dinner," the girl replied.  
  
Garrett joined his friend by the table and he turned to look at his sister. "Thanks, Selphie. We'll be down in a minute, okay?"  
  
Selphie nodded, took one look at Alex and left the room, closing the door behind her. She heard her brother's voice on the other side of the door and Selphie couldn't help but stay there to listen. Her curiosity growing rapidly, Selphie pressed her ears against the door and listened.  
  
"Did she see anything?" her brother's voice rung in a hushed whisper.  
  
Alex's voice later came. "I'm not sure, but she's just a kid, what does she know?"  
  
What does she know what? Selphie wondered.  
  
"She may just be a kid, Alex, but my little sister's a smart girl. Next time, don't do this here while my sister's around the house. She reads a lot of books you know." Selphie heard paper being rumpled, a grunt, then silence. For a moment it was quiet, but then the girl heard the footsteps... which was coming closer and closer. Selphie looked around, hoping to find a hiding spot, but all she could think of was her room next door. She silently and carefully opened the door and stepped inside, closing it as quietly as possible, just the same moment the two boys opened the door to Garrett's room. She heard the same footsteps walk pass her and heard the same ones as it descended down the stairs. With a sigh of relief, Selphie made sure the hallway was clear and stepped out.   
  
****************************  
The warm weather was a relief for him. For the last couple of days, despite the frigid winds and rainy weather, the Coach ruthlessly took them out for practices and kept them for many hours after school at the field, doing scrunches and laps. There was only a week left for the championship and for the first time in five years, the Balamb Lions were finally able to play in it. After a couple of games, after so much hard work, the news that reached the Balamb Lions coach just a couple of days ago increased his influence to work his players harder in the field.   
  
Zell took a deep breath. It was almost six and for three long hours, all they have been doing was going over the drills of tackling their opponent or practicing their kicks to make sure it reached the goal. "Damn the championships," he hissed quietly, making sure the coach didn't hear. "Why do they have to make a big deal out of it?" He was itching for some smoke right now.   
  
"Because it's the championship, Dincht!" Kent answered, slapping a hand on the blonde's back. "I mean this is the first time we've actually made it in the championships, or so what I've heard from Micheal."  
  
The blond looked at him. Kent barely talked about his older brother to him and this was the first time he's heard his name being mentioned from his lips. "Yeah, I can't believe it...five years and not being able to win a trophy in the championships." He remembered when his Uncle was seventeen. He played for the Balamb Lions and even with the best players in the team, they weren't able to make it for the third time in a row. When Zell joined two years ago in the team, two years were wasted on trying to get into the championship, which was now five times altogether. During his Uncle's time, before he started joining for the team, Zell was able to hear from his point of view, that Balamb had the best football team in the district. Ever since the team started playing, they won many championships, but for some reason, they had 'lost their touch.' His uncle refused to believe that the reason why they lost was because their best players, Owen Lake, Mark Janssen and Steven Cole graduated and immediately left for college when he started joining. When Zell asked what the reason was of them losing after they left, his Uncle simply said, "We lost because we don't have enough practices." It was those words in the first place that his teammates blamed him for saying, because ever since he mentioned that to their coach, they have been practicing three times a day, during and after school. Zell didn't want to ask his Uncle for a reason on why they lost ten times in a row in the playoffs against the Galbadian Wolves. Ten times they lost against the Galbadian Wolves, but Zell had a feeling that this year, it was different. He felt more confident this year. The Balamb Lions were going to win this time.  
  
"Yo, Dincht! Are you just going to stand there or hurt yourself with the ball that comes your way?" Kent was already out in the field, holding a football. He approached the blond and leaned closer towards him. "Hey, after we can go out for smoke if you want." He knew Zell was eager for a little smoke.  
  
Zell nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah and it will be my last time. After this, I have to tell Selphie and then I'm done."  
  
Kent shrugged. "All right, whatever you say. Remind me then not to hand you anymore of them. Come on let's start!" The dark hared boy ran back to the field to join their other teammates, each passing their own footballs to their partners. Some were simply throwing the ball to each other, trying to see how far they can throw. Some were practicing their kicks, each taking a turn on kicking the ball farther into the field.  
  
The blond nodded. He joined Kent in the field and they began their practice.  
  
******************************  
"Zell? Can you promise me one thing?" She looked up into the boy's eyes and gave him a worried look.   
  
The blond nodded. "Sure, what is it?" The boy turned so that he was completely facing the girl as they sat on the roof of the Tilmitt residence.   
  
The girl took a deep breath. "Can you promise me that you won't do bad things?"  
  
The boy was confused. "Bad things?"  
  
"Yeah. My brother... Garrett... he's doing bad things..." She paused, unsure how to continue with the conversation. The twelve year old girl looked up again, this time, with so much desperation in her eyes that Zell couldn't take his eyes away from them. "He's doing bad things that's hurting him and my mom and dad."  
  
"What is he doing?"  
  
Selphie took a deep breath and shook her head. "Just don't do bad things okay? Will you promise me? I don't want you to lose anything..." Tears began to form in her eyes. She suddenly turned away, ashamed to show her best friend that she was crying. She never cried this hard in front of him before. She felt someone's arms surround her small body. The girl looked up and found Zell pulling her in for an embrace. The tears that she has been trying so hard to hold back, soon fell down her face rapidly. She buried her face in his chest and wept.  
  
"I promise..." he whispered in her ear.  
  
  
******************************  
She gasped excitedly and found herself staring at the letter she has been waiting for months from. It's been five months now since Garrett responded. It was the best news she has gotten so she didn't have to think about what happened between her and Kent Marshall in school today. Selphie grabbed the rest of the letters from the mailbox and went inside, looking through the rest of the letters, which consisted mostly of bills, bills and more bills. The girl giggled at the looks her father gave her the moment she handed him the phone bills, the credit card bills and the cable bills. She joined him at the dining room table while her mother prepared an early dinner for them. Selphie unfolded the letter from her brother and smiled, showing her father.   
  
"Dad, I got a letter from Garrett!"  
  
Her father looked up from the food he was eating and his eyebrows lifted up curiously. "Really? What did he say?"  
  
Selphie looked down at the letter, read it quickly, going through certain sentences that she couldn't quite understand and a couple of minutes later, while her lunch stayed untouched, she looked up and smiled. "He says he's doing fine and he's asking how everyone is doing. He only has two months left until his program and he says he's allowed to visit during the summer!" The girl looked up hopefully towards her dad and smiled. "So is he allowed to come visit here?"  
  
Her father smiled and nodded. "Of course! He is your brother after all and he is still our son!"  
  
"When did he say he was coming here for sure?"  
  
The girl jumped up and down excitedly and folded the letter, putting it back inside the envelope. With that done, she finally started eating her dinner that her mother has been anxiously waiting for her to eat. "He said at the end of May or something, just in time to see me graduate!" she answered to her mother's question. This was her chance to ask her brother about a certain 'drug' what Zell was handling. Although she believes it wasn't him, she was doubting it now. What if Zell was actually doing it? Why?   
  
"Selphie, are you all right?" her mother asked.  
  
Selphie looked up and found both her parents staring at her worriedly. "Yeah, I'm fine!" She hadn't realized that her hand, holding the spoon, paused in midair just above her plate. She thought about writing her brother back and asking him on the letter instead of waiting for him to come. The longer she waited, the more she was anticipating the moment to ask Zell about his 'habit.'   
  
The sixteen year old girl frowned, remembering that time she asked Zell to promise her never to do anything bad. He promised of course.  
  
But then he broke it...   
  
Selphie remembered that night they were on the roof, just staring in the sky, looking for a shooting star and when they did, they would wish of happy things. Selphie had asked Zell then and there for him not to do terrible things that will hurt him and everyone he cared about and to promise it. She started crying and Zell had wrapped his tiny arms around her lithe body.  
  
She stirred in his arms and smiled as she looked up to meet his eyes. "Do you really promise, Zell?" Selphie asked, hope in her eyes.  
  
Zell nodded again, confirming what he had said. "Yeah, of course. If I break my promise, remind me okay? Remind me..."  
  
Selphie giggled and nodded. "Okay!" she replied, stifling her giggles.  
  
"Why are you laughing?"  
  
"I'm laughing, because I know you won't break your promise! You never do!"   
  
And she was wrong. Selphie knew the truth. He had broken his promise and it was hurting her really bad. She suddenly felt tears in her eyes. Selphie wiped them away quickly, hoping both her parents didn't see, but it was too late. Her father had seen it.  
  
"Selphie, honey? What's wrong?" His attention was suddenly focused on his daughter as Dylan Tilmitt put his fork down on the plate and looked at her worriedly. His words brought attention as well on Selphie's mother, who was just finishing cooking the last ounce of food and was already at her daughter's side.  
  
"Selphie?" she called.  
  
The girl shook her head, hastily wiping away the tears with her arms from her eyes. "I'm fine mom...dad... Uh... I'm kinda full now, so I think I'm gonna go study. See ya!" Without giving her parents a chance to talk, Selphie got up and left for her bedroom. There was no point in staying longer and making her parents worry more.   
  
GoodGurl: Awwwwwww, poor Selphie! :( I hope things turn out better for her soon, but don't worry, it will. Will she have the courage to tell her best friend or now? And dang! Kent is very threatening ain't he? Heh heh! We gotta have an antagonist sooner or later right? ;) 


	9. Upside Down

Note: Hiyah! Welcome back to the 8th chapter of this wonderful story......*ahem* anyway, we last left off with our main couple of the game with many problems: Rinoa with a child at sixteen, without telling her boyfriend about it...PLUS! She meets the father of her child unexpectedly at the store where she works; Squall with a father he and his younger brother needs the most, but is far too 'busy' for them AND, Rinoa rejects his promise ring and runs off without telling him why.... Where will their relationship go from here? @_@  
  
Chapter 9 - Upside Down   
  
The summer heat was definitely catching up to them this month. Outside, people were lounging around their front yard, drinking lemonade while watching people go by in their cars... cars with their windows open and their air conditioner at full blast. Squall has never seen this much heat in Seattle since they moved from California. He parked the car near a 2002 midnight green Toyota Camry and got out, making his way into the field.   
  
"Squall!!!!" a young voice yelled in the distance.   
  
The brunette shaded his eyes from the sun with his hand and looked over at the field. His younger brother was running towards him, ball in his arms, waving at him excitedly. He sighed, forcing his face into a smile. Today was no easy day for him, especially when his girlfriend kept avoiding him during school. Something was definitely going on with Rinoa. She was hiding something and she wouldn't tell him anything.  
  
"Hey, squirt!" Squall greeted back, ruffling his dark, dark hair.  
  
Cloud pouted, straightening his hair into its sides. "What'd you do that for?"  
  
His older brother grinned, then looked over at the field. Just across the fifty yard gravel, a team, which Squall figured was the team his little brother and the rest of the Balamb Lions were playing, were already practicing their moves. Their coach, a muscular bald man with strong legs, were shouting out 'encouraging' words at the young soccer players. He glanced at his brother's teammates and couldn't believe how opposite they were in comparison to the other team who were working really hard to win this game. Twelve, figures sat on the bench, some, watching eagerly at their opponent, while others watched in fear of them. There was no sign of their tall, red haired and rather young coach who usually came at least an hour early to set up the equipment.   
  
"Where's your coach?" he asked, looking towards the parking lot to see whether Coach Kleever has arrived.  
  
Cloud just shrugged, his eyes searching to the other side of the field for someone. Squall watched as his dark green pupils turned into slits when the young boy saw the person he was looking for. Another boy, who seemed taller than Cloud, was smirking at him, folding his arms across his chest and playing with the soccer ball around his feet to show himself off. From where he stood, Squall could see the foot work and the stamina the sandy haired boy had. Frowning, he could also see the boy's arrogant attitude. He glanced back at his little brother, who was clenching and unclenching his fists in irritation.  
  
"Someone you know?" the big brother asked.  
  
The dark haired boy nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the other boy. "Yeah..." he hissed. "His name is Dominic Seawell. He's the team coach's son.. go figure!" He gritted his teeth in disgust and began playing with the ball with his own feet, trying to show off as well.  
  
Squall chuckled, reaching down to ruffle his brother's hair once more. "You are so adorable when you're in your competitive mood." He laughed even harder when Cloud slapped his hand away from his head and once again, fixed his hair.   
  
"Stop it!" he whined, moving away from him.  
  
"Sorry, I'm late, kids! I got caught up in traffic!" came a voice from behind them.  
  
Squall, Cloud and the rest of the team turned around. Coach Kleever's face was redder than his hair, which was a sure sign that he probably ran from his car to the field, or was just angry at the traffic. Squall can imagine him slamming his hand against the horn of his car, shouting out thousands of profanities he can possibly muster at the cars in front of him, who were driving a bit too slow. With that thought, he almost chuckled, but stopped himself before he embarrassed the coach any further.  
  
"Hey, Kleever! What took you so long? I thought you chickened out or something!" All heads turned to the direction of Coach Seawell, who was smirking at his own joke. The twelve kids running around, all stopped to listen. Dominic, his son, obviously found it funny as well.  
  
"Never in a million years, Seawell!" Kleever yelled back. He grinned at the other man and when he turned away from him, he mumbled some cursed words, then checked himself twice, knowing he had twelve year old kids watching him carefully. He looked up at Squall, who was nodding, glad that the older man didn't shout out anything that could offend the parents watching. "Hello, Squall! How's your father today?"  
  
The mentioning of his father stopped Squall short. He stared at the man for a moment, then nodded slowly. "He's....fine..." he mumbled, turning away to avoid anymore conversations about his Mayor father, who owned the Balamb soccer team AND the Balamb high school football team.   
  
Kleever didn't seem to mind that Squall was avoiding him, instead, he turned to face his team. Cloud left his older brother's side to be with the others and listened as their coach spoke encouraging words to them. Unlike Seawell, Kleever did not push his team too hard, like they were some kind of army. Despite Kleever's language, he was kind to his players and never fretted if they lost a game. Squall has seen him do this a couple of times, but Kleever congratulated his players with a pat on the back every time the game ended, whether they won or lost. That was the one thing the sixteen year old boy always admired about Varsity's number one soccer player.   
  
After Kleever's long speech, all boys joined their hands together and yelled, "Go Lions, go!" before letting go. Just as they were about to reassemble, the referee blew his whistle to start the game. All players from each side made their way to the field. Cloud, the fastest runner, was one of the four forwards in the team, who, ironically, was standing on the opposite side of his rival, Dominic.   
  
Squall shook his head. "Of all the..."  
  
"Sorry?" Coach Kleever, who was standing beside him, glanced at Squall.  
  
The younger boy shook his head the second time. "Nothing. Just talking to myself."  
  
When all the teams were in position, the referee held the ball into the air and the moment he blew the whistle, the ball fell from his hands. Immediately, all players advanced forward to their opposite side. Squall watched intently as one of Cloud's teammates passed the ball to him. The dark haired boy eased his way in between the opposing team and ran like no tomorrow. Squall was amazed at how fast his younger brother was in the field. The opposing team were trying to catch up to number 08, but couldn't. The sixteen year old smiled approvingly.   
  
If only his father was watching right now....  
  
**************************************  
  
  
A knock on the door interrupted him from his concentration.   
  
"What is it?" Slightly annoyed, he looked up to see his wife standing there, hurt. His face softened and apologized at her, then turned back to his papers.  
  
"You know, your son is playing right now." Raine approached her husband cautiously. She walked behind him and placed her hands on his tense shoulders. "I think he would be happy if he saw you. I'm going over there right now. Would you like to come?"  
  
"What?" It seems Laguna didn't hear a word his wife said.  
  
She sighed. Suddenly, she placed a hand on her husband's papers, blocking Laguna's pen from the forms and the many papers present on his table.   
  
Laguna frowned, looking up. "What do you want, Raine? I don't have time for this."  
  
"Why are you angry all of a sudden? I'm only trying to let you see that your sons need you for this. Cloud has been looking forward for this for a long time and I think it's time you spend time with him." She leaned down closer and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. "Can't you at least stop this and come with me to watch the game? I think after, Squall's taking his little brother down at the carnival."  
  
Laguna removed his wife's hand gently from around him. "I will, but right now, I need to finish this form and send it out to my secretary. When I'm done here, I'll go and see the game okay?"  
  
Raine smiled. "You promise?"  
  
Laguna looked up and smiled back. "I promise."  
  
*************************************  
  
Night soon came to pass. She was very tired. Last night, she couldn't sleep, because her head was too busy to sleep, with all the thoughts running in her head about Ian, then Squall, then her child, then back again. If she wasn't closing up until nine o'clock, then she wouldn't have to worry about sleeping at all.   
  
Rinoa was just closing up the cash register, when she heard the door opening. Without looking up, she placed the keys through the key hole of the old register and looked up, saying "Sorry, we're-" she suddenly stopped.  
  
A familiar man stood there, his hand stuffed in his hands nervously. Rinoa felt her face frowning. What was HE doing here? The long haired girl quickly went to the back counter, trying to find things to make herself look busy.   
  
"Rinoa, I need to talk to you," said the voice in the front counter. Rinoa sighed. She had no choice. She had nothing to look busy at. The dark haired girl went back near the cash register and looked up, frowning.   
  
"What did I just say, Ian? Didn't I tell you not to talk to me again or beg me to see your daughter? You were the one who left, not me. I can't let you see her." She folded her arms across her chest and sighed, pursing her lips shut. Those were her final words. After that, nothing he says, will change her mind.   
  
"Then, I guess I have no choice, but..." Ian said, taking out a piece of paper. He put it on the counter so Rinoa could see.   
  
As if a part of her broke apart, Rinoa's eyes widened in shock. In fine print, the paper in front of her said: The Seattle State Court House. What happened to 'nothing he says will change her mind?' she thought. She couldn't move. "What does this mean? Are you telling me you want to share custody with our daughter, when YOU were the one who didn't want her in the first place?"  
  
Ian nodded, staring at her coldly. "Yes, that's EXACTLY what I'm saying, Rin."  
  
"Why change your mind now? What the HELL kind of idea is this!?" Rinoa slammed a hand on top of the paper. "I am NOT signing this!" She was turning red in the face with anger. She couldn't believe this asshole wants to take their daughter away from her. "I am not letting you or any of the social workers take her away from me! You have no right!"  
  
"I may not have the right, Rin, but our daughter has the right to live in a family that can feed her and make her healthy. You can't be the one raising her!"   
  
"Why? Because I'm too stupid for her!? Because I'm just a 'kid?' What, Ian? Go on, tell me!"  
  
Ian took a deep breath. "Look, I didn't mean it like that. I didn't say you were stupid! All I'm saying is..."  
  
"Well, whatever you think of me, Ian, it's not going to change my mind about my daughter. I am NOT giving her up whatsoever. She and I are doing fine where we are. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to lock up now, so will you please leave?" She pointed her finger out the door, tears almost falling out of her eyes.  
  
Ian stared at her. He couldn't believe this! What was she thinking? Is this what she wants for her daughter? How can she support both of them while she works in a dump like this? Sighing, but not giving up, the older man picked up the form from the counter and began walking away, but stopped just near the door to look back at the girl. "Rinoa, I'm giving you two weeks chance to change your mind, if not, then I have no choice, but to call the social worker and ask them to take her." With those words, he turned and left.  
  
Rinoa stood there for a moment and when she was sure he was gone, she quickly locked the door, went to the back room and buried her face in her hands. "Why are you doing this, Ian!? Why are you suddenly punishing me for the mistakes YOU made?" she said to herself, weeping.   
  
Did she really have two weeks left?  
  
**********************************  
  
"Hi! You're home!" An elderly woman, in her mid forties wrapped her arms around to what looked like a distraught young woman. Patti usually greeted the girl with a hug and Rinoa would usually hug her back, but something was different. The woman pulled back to look into Rinoa's eyes. "What's wrong?"  
  
Rinoa looked up, her eyes red and puffy. She had been crying. "Where's- where's Diana?"  
  
Patti tilted her head up the stairs. "She's in her cradle, sleeping. Why?"  
  
The dark haired girl said nothing. The older woman watched as Rinoa crept up the stairs, her eyes seem to be too entranced in going up to her daughter than putting her back pack down. Patti followed her up the stairs and into her small bedroom, where a small cradle stood beside a small bed. Inside, was a little baby girl sleeping with her back towards them. Rinoa, as if still in a trance, slowly made her way to the crib and stopped just inches away form it. Patti continued to watch. The dark haired girl leaned down, caressed her daughter's face, then turned away. For a moment, Rinoa just stared at the wall and before Patti could catch her in her arms, Rinoa suddenly dropped on her knees and wept quietly on the sheets of her bed.   
  
Patti quickly ran to her side, wrapping her motherly arms around the girl and rubbed her back. "Shhh, it's okay now Rinoa."  
  
"No, it's not okay," she spoke, during her muffled sobs. She looked up, her eyes red in sadness. "He's going to take here away, Patti!" she whispered, making sure she wouldn't scream too much to wake Diana up. She buried her head back on her arms and wept some more.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Diana's father... He's planning on sharing custody and... and I don't want to let go of my daughter! I love her! I don't want her to grow up with him and call someone else, 'mom'" she choked and rubbed her tears away with her arms.  
  
"Why do you think that? He said he wants to share custody," Patti whispered in her ear. "It doesn't really mean he's taking her away from you. I mean, he can't take her away from you! You're her mother."  
  
Rinoa sniffed, wiping more tears from her eyes. "But I don't want- I don't want her to know him."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I don't want her to know that her father had another child while he cheated on me."  
  
Patti stopped. She's never really told her about this before. This was all new to her. "Are you telling me, your baby's father already HAD a wife and a child while he was with you?"  
  
Rinoa nodded.   
  
The older woman's eyes turned into thing slits. How can this man do this to her? And not just to Rinoa, but to his own wife and child? Patti said nothing. She didn't want to make Rinoa worry than she already was. She wrapped her arms around her 'daughter' and put her head on her shoulders. "Hush now, my child. You have to stop crying or Diana will wake up. Besides, all will be good. I'll be with you when you talk to Ian about this."  
  
Rinoa looked up, surprised. "You will?"  
  
Patti smiled sympathetically. "Of course!"  
  
The dark haired girl smiled back at her 'mother' and hugged her. "Thank you," she whispered, burying her face in her chest. Before she could stop herself, she wept once more.   
  
Patti grinned and embraced her tighter. "All will be well, Rinoa. You just wait and see."  
  
******************************  
  
School day was once again here. Squall made his way to the building, smiling at the thought of Coach Seawell's face when the Lions won against them. It seems that the man was confident that his team could win, with all the hours they put up to 'shape' his players. Unfortunately, brutal scrunches and sprints did not help him win yesterday's game while kind encouragement and tolerance that Coach Kleever made....did. Cloud was even more enthusiastic when he was able to show off to Dominic Seawell that he could run faster than him, especially when his mother was watching, cheering him on. Squall was quite angry when his mother told him that their father was going to show up after he finished work, but never really did. His mother was also very angry, but it later faded when they went to the carnival afterwards. Just seeing Cloud happy was good enough for both Squall and Raine.   
  
"Oh, hey Squall!" The tall young man, too enthralled about what he witnessed at yesterday's game, looked up, startled by Rinoa's presence in front of him.  
  
"Hi, Rin..." Immediately, he felt his hand moving to his side, fidgetting nervously. "What's up?"  
  
Rinoa smiled. "Oh nothing... I was just uh... going to class. Want to walk down with me? I mean, if you don't want to, I can understand."  
  
Squall shook his head. "No, it's okay, since my class is down that way anyway."  
  
The dark haired girl was relieved. She thought he was angry at her for what she did the day before. She turned and began walking, with Squall close beside her. Rinoa glanced at his hands, swaying side to side as he walked. She wanted so much to grab his hand and take it into her own and tell him EVERYTHING about her life... even the ones most dreadful.   
  
"Squall I..." she stopped, swallowing. Hard.  
  
The tall boy looked at her. "Hm?"  
  
Rinoa looked away and stared ahead of her. Where does she start from here?   
  
"What is it, Rin?"  
  
The dark haired girl flinched. How is she supposed to start this conversation? She has to say something before they go their separate ways. "Nothing... Thanks for walking me home!" She paced faster on her feet and walked away ahead of him. Squall watched her go, his eyes furrowing curiously and, disappointingly. He wished she would say something, instead of turning away from him. Sighing, he stuffed his hands in his pant pockets and thought about what was bothering Rinoa so much all the way to his class.  
  
*******************************  
  
This was getting really tiresome. She HAS to say something or else she will lose Squall for good! Rinoa tapped her fingers nervously on the table. Lunch time was too noisy for anyone heat her beat, but the people around her table were staring to get irritated with her agitation.   
  
"What are you so nervous about, Rinoa? And where is Squall these days? I haven't seen him without you! Did you have a fight?" Zell said through the noise, glancing at his friend.   
  
"What?" Rinoa looked up. Zell, Selphie and Quistis were all looking at her, worriedly. "Oh nothing, I'm just excited!" She forced a smile on her face, but none of her three friends were fooled.   
  
"I was also asking where Squall was. Where is he?" Zell looked around at the crowd, hoping to spot Squall amongst the people lining up for food. "Oh, there he is."  
  
Rinoa's head popped up and her eyes saw him standing there, with a tray in hand. He was reaching for a sandwich and a drink, before the line moved once again. Quickly, Squall paid for it and went to join his friends at the table.   
  
"Hey, Squall!" Zell greeted over a full mouth.  
  
"Zell, don't talk with your mouth full!" Quistis said.  
  
"So-mry!" Zell said.  
  
Squall sat down on the usual seat beside the dark haired girl. Rinoa looked up and smiled awkwardly. For a moment, their eyes met, but Rinoa was the first one to break contact first and no one saw that coming. Zell was too busy choking on his food to notice, while Selphie was helping him cough it out. Quistis was mumbling how immature the blond was, irritably rubbing the top of her nose with her hand, then suddenly commenting how ALL boys were immature. "Especially the one named, Seifer," Quistis added, talking to herself.  
  
Rinoa looked down at her food and picked up the sandwich she bought, then began eating it slowly. When she had enough for just this moment, she put her sandwich back down and sighed, placing her hands on her lap.  
  
"Rin," someone whispered. The dark haired girl turned to see who it was, then realized it was Squall, whose hands suddenly reached for her hand on her lap. He squeezed it lovingly and looked into her eyes.   
  
She felt her eyes suddenly begin to water, but choked it back. "I'm sorry," she whispered back. "I'll tell you everything, I promise. I'm just not ready right now..."  
  
Squall nodded. "That's good enough for me. I can wait." He smiled again, reassuringly.  
  
Rinoa smiled. She couldn't help but cry. Squall was as sweet as ever. No wonder she fell in love with him. Her three friends STILL didn't notice as Squall reached over with his other hand and wiped her tears away.   
  
Zell, coughing horribly this time, accidentally kicked his shins against the table, in an attempt to get up so he could get something to drink. Squall and Rinoa broke free from each other and flinched, when Zell suddenly jumped up from his seat and had coughing fits while he ran to the counter to get a drink of water. Selphie ran after him, eyes all turning to her, as she yelled, "I TOLD you not to eat too fast, Zell! Geez! How many times have I told you about that!?"   
  
Both Squall and Rinoa glanced at Quistis, who just shrugged and continued eating her sandwich as if nothing happened.  
  
GoodGurl: Okay, that last part was weird, but I also wanted to add a little funny scene about Zell and his hot dog! Tee hee! ^_^. Well there you have it folks! As you can see, Squall and Rinoa have resolved their problems, but there's STILL the matter of Squall finding out about Rinoa's baby and the fact that his father broke his promise yet again to watch the soccer game. And Rinoa too... she might lose her baby forever if the social services aren't sympathetic enough to let her keep the baby. Ian's so mean! How dare he! you say? Well, we'll see! ;) Stay tuned! 


	10. The Weekend Part One

Note: HI all! Hey, thank you to Mariko for giving me the insight on soccer. Can you believe that I played in a soccer team before and I didn't even know? Heh heh! My bad! ^^; Anyways, so we last left off with our little blond couple arguing (as usual) and with a little bit more of their 'problems' unresolved, such as Quistis' drunken father and Seifer's own divorces parents' lives. Now, the blond boy, after being invited over by his father and his new wife and half younger sister for the weekend at the lodge, decides to go for the weekend. I have to admit, there isn't much Seiftis here, but I have to put a little bit more of their own thing in order for them to help each other out with their problems. Well, enjoy! ^_^ And don't forget to review!  
  
  
  
Chapter 10 - The Weekend (Part one)  
  
  
  
~Friday~  
  
It wasn't that long of a travel for him to drive down to his father's house that was close to the border between Canada and the United States. At first, he was reluctant to go, knowing he would feel awkward being with his father, his wife and his new step sister, but decided that he had no reason to be afraid of them. They were going to be his new family, aside from the terrible relationship he had with his mother. Bryan Almasy had asked him to come to his home and have dinner with him and his wife and kid. Seifer wasn't sure at first with the idea, neither was Lynette, but after thinking, he decided to go anyways, since there was nothing else for him to do for a few hours on a Friday night.   
  
Seifer looked into the horizon, towards the Island where the house, his father said would be situated in. Just as Bryan Almasy had described, the house was a large mansion with its roofs peeking high above the cliffs, where, down below, the ocean smashed against the rocks. He made a turn towards exit 43 and drove down the high way, until he made it towards an even bigger neighborhood, with even bigger houses. However, it did not compare to the size he saw on the other side of the Island, where his father was waiting for him at the dinner table. He looked out the window and noticed people in cell phones, driving expensive cars, while children played in the front yard with their Barbies or their expensive bikes. Teenagers, who were too old for Barbies or bikes, drove around in their cars, their stereos pumping up into a high volume with very irritating music. Normally, he wouldn't care how loud these teenagers were playing their songs, but right now, all he wanted to do was pound one boy in the face, listening to a high pitched heavy rock metal band that sounded like the singer was just screaming out obscene words, than actually singing them. With the nervousness he had right now, he couldn't stand the thought of having music pounded into his head without asking for it. He rounded into a corner and almost hit another expensive car. Though it wasn't his fault the driver of the other car gave him the finger and Seifer, being a wise civilian he was, offered him the same. "Dumbass..." he mumbled, turning another street. He drove the car to the last house on the hill and when he saw the large, brown and white house, he parked his car at the side of the road, deciding that he can just carry his luggage up the driveway and to the front door.  
  
The blond was greeted by a rather short, Asian woman with a heavy accent that Seifer couldn't quite understand what she was trying to say in English. The woman, around her mid forties, looked at him for a moment, making him wait some more. Seifer was about to lose his patience, when a familiar man appeared at the door, dismissing the Asian woman (Rio) with a slight nod.  
  
Bryan Almasy glanced at his son and smiled, opening the door wider for him to step inside with his luggage. "I'm so glad that you can make it, Seifer!"  
  
At first, Seifer was hesitant to step inside, but his father made sure that he stayed. The short, bald man helped him with is luggage, dragging it with one hand inside. There was no problem for him to carry it, because Seifer packed lightly. The blond followed his father inside and when he did, Seifer was amazed at how large the place was, compared to his house.   
  
"Oh, you must be Seifer!" came a soft tune from somewhere. Seifer looked up towards the top of the stairs, where a woman with long pointed nose and very skinny legs and arms walked down the stairs. She was attractive in a way, but not really the most beautiful, because of her high cheek bones, her very skinny mouth, her large jaws and long black hair. Despite it all, however, Seifer saw a pair of soft green eyes, which showed him the kindness inside her.   
  
"Yes, Halle. This is my son, Seifer," Bryan announced, putting an arm around his son's shoulders. Because Seifer was rather tall, the blond had to lean down a bit so his father could completely put his arm around him.   
  
Halle smiled. When she did, it actually made her look beautiful. "OH! Let me look at you! Your father has said so many things about you, Seifer! I didn't imagine how handsome you were!"  
  
Seifer felt his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Personally, he never branded himself as 'handsome,' just 'good looking,' and a type of boy who had problems with his mother. No one can ever imagine him being related to a short, bald man like Bryan or a sex-crazed and rather, skinny mother. But there is no denying the truth. He is indeed related to these people. Halle approached him suddenly, much to Seifer's dismay and looked at him up and down.   
  
"After a year of waiting, I can't believe I finally get to meet you!" Halle wrapped her skinny arms around him. Compared to his mother, Halle was much taller and was even taller than his father. "So, how old are you now?"  
  
"I'm seventeen," Seifer replied.  
  
"Dominique come back here!"   
  
All three heads, who were preoccupied with each other, turned their attention towards a little girl, barely two, who stopped right in front of Seifer, staring at him curiously. Seifer nervously looked around for help. The little girl was staring at him angrily.  
  
"Who you!?" she yelled, planting both her fists on her hips like an adult. "Awe you my bwother?" The blond examined her for a bit. Like him, the girl was blond, with two pig tails sticking out of her tiny head and large, baby blue eyes. She had chubby cheeks and chubby little fingers and hands that when people saw her, wouldn't be able to resist pinching all of them, saying how cute they were.  
  
Seifer nodded slowly, trying to understand the situation. Was this his little sister? "Yes. I am. I think." He looked at her father, who just smiled and nodded.   
  
Dominique stared at him for a moment, then suddenly ran to him, wrapping her little arms around his large, long legs. Seifer stood there awkwardly, unsure how to handle a kid. This was his first time having to confront a little girl. "HEWWO BWOTHER!" she screamed, almost damaging Seifer's ears. She hugged him tighter and jumped up and down excitedly, giggling. "Aw you going to take me to the zoo?"  
  
"Okay Dominique I think your big brother needs to eat and I think you need to wash your hands!" Bryan spoke, picking Dominique up in his arms. He winked at Seifer, then left with his daughter to wash her hands. Halle smiled. She noticed Seifer picking up his suitcase, but she put a hand on his arm and shook her head. "You don't need to worry about that now, Seifer," she said. "You can just leave it there and I'll have Rio put that in the trunk of the car later. Right now, we're going to have dinner. Come."  
  
Halle walked pass him and led the way the kitchen, having to pass a long hallway with many doors that led suspiciously to somewhere. Seifer followed closely behind, admiring the beauty of the mansion, from the wall paper on the ceiling, to the antique tables and chairs situated at some areas of the house they passed by. The blond couldn't help but say, "Wow...." under his breath.  
  
"I know," Halle smiled, looking over her shoulder at the tall boy. "This place was owned by a rich family a long time ago, but they died when it burned down."  
  
"How did it burn down?"  
  
"Well, there were rumors that someone in the family wanted to murder the rest of the household, but managed to kill himself while trying to do it. It was said to believe that he was trying to put oil into their bedrooms and when he was about to light the match, a female servant he fell in love, stopped him just in time." They passed a few more corridors.  
  
A lover's spat, Seifer thought. "But, how did that kill him? She was able to stop him right?"  
  
Halle shook her head. "Or so people thought. Some investigators believed that the lovers had a fight that same night, because the girl didn't want to marry the boy, you know, due to the fact that his parents didn't want her to. The parents told this to only her and she was heart broken. She promised not to tell their son about their little 'conversation,' but the boy found out and was angry. He was planning on burning the mansion down and run away with his lover with millions and millions of dollars stashed somewhere in his bedroom. Of course, she refused. She didn't want to leave, because, no matter how hard it was, she was happy where she was and that's when she decided to stop him that night. They struggled and eventually she won, despite the result. He was burned down along with his parents while trying to escape. Because she was smaller than him, the girl was able to escape through the small window. Here we are!" She guided the blond inside a large, dining room, one that looked like it was seen from a medieval castle. A long table covered most of the room and a long, white cloth covered the table. Old looking candles and expensive looking plates were set up to make the place look eerie and romantic in a way, underneath the blanket of darkness.   
  
Seifer was too shocked about the setting that he had completely forgotten about the story Halle was telling him. "Sit here," a voice interrupted his thoughts. The blond looked up and noticed that his step-mother was already sitting at the farthest corner of the table. She was patting her hand on a chair to her left.   
  
The blond obeyed and sat himself down on the decided chair. The two were later joined by Seifer's father and his stepsister, who was smiling even wider when she noticed her older brother sitting there. She quickly ran to his side, sitting down on a chair next to him. Seifer didn't know how to react to a little girl sitting next to him, so he just nodded and glanced at his father.  
  
Bryan smiled. "So, how are you liking this place, Seifer?"  
  
Seifer nodded. "It's pretty big that I'm nervous about getting lost here."  
  
Bryan and Halle laughed. "Well, you'll get used to it in time," Halle replied.   
  
"Bwother? Aw you coming with us to the mountain?" the little voice spoke.  
  
All three heads turned to the direction of Dominique, who gave hopeful looks towards the blond. The girl was too cute, that Seifer couldn't help but put a hand on her head to assure her that he was indeed going. "Of course," he replied, smiling slightly. At least this was going to get his mind off of a certain blond woman who kept insulting him about his 'attitude.' Seifer smirked.  
  
"What's wrong?" Bryan asked, noticing Seifer's look.  
  
Seifer looked up and shook his head. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking."  
  
"About yo girlfwend?" Dominique's tiny voice spoke.  
  
The blond looked at her strangely. Both Bryan and Halle just laughed, mostly because of Seifer's reaction than Dominique's question.  
  
'This was going to be a loooong night,' Seifer thought.  
  
  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
  
"So you want to go a party tonight?" Her friend sat down beside her and took the liberty of stealing a French fry from her plate.   
  
"Nah...." she answered, sliding the tray towards her friend.   
  
"Awww, come on! It's going to be fun!" She grabbed another fry and chewed it quickly, before wiping her greasy hands with her napkin and looked up.  
  
She shook her head, thinking about that party. If she went, what would her dad say? She has to find a way to tell Selphie that she couldn't go. "I can't, because I have to study for this big exam next week." A little lie wouldn't hurt.  
  
Selphie stared at Quistis as if she didn't believe her friend, then decided to give up. Even though she was curious about Quistis' REAL excuse on why she wouldn't come, she would never pry on her friend's personal things. The brown haired girl gave a smiled and nodded. "All right! But if you DO decide to come, just show up at Amber Lane's house..." She picked up the unused napkin from Quistis' tray and fished out a pen from her pocket. She began writing down something and when she was done, she handed it slowly to Quistis. "This is her address. I'm sure your cousin, Travis knows where she lives and he can drop you off or something."  
  
"How would he know?" Quistis lifted an eyebrow curiously.  
  
"Because your little cousin dated her," Selphie replied, standing up now.   
  
"You mean Travis dated an older woman?" Quistis couldn't believe her ears.  
  
Selphie shrugged. "I dunno. Well, I better go, or Mr. Watanabe will throw a fit at me if I don't show up on time for Japanese class! See ya!" With that, she waved good bye and quickly walked out of the cafeteria.  
  
Quistis sighed, looking around at the usual table her, Selphie, Zell, Rinoa and Squall usually sat, but for the first time in one week she's been here, she was alone in it. She glanced at her watch and gasped. If she didn't pick up her books now for Literature class, then she'll be late for it.  
  
  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
After school was quite different. The blond spent most of her days in class getting bored, because every subject repeated every lesson from the previous days. Quistis thought about skipping class today, but she decided too late that she just rejected that idea. She came home at an empty house, as usual, because her Aunt was probably working late today and Travis had his baseball practice and wouldn't be coming home tonight... which he persuaded his mother for him to stay over at his friend's house. Quistis envied him. She wished she was doing something on a Friday night. Her father.... Quistis shook her head. She didn't want to think about what her father was doing. She guessed he was probably drinking his thoughts away as usual, instead of finding a decent job.   
  
Sighing, without even bothering to cook anything for lunch, Quistis opened all the drawers where she thought she could find good snacks she can munch on while watching some kind of soap on television and was happy to find sour cream and onion flavored Pringles which wasn't open yet. Today, she felt like relaxing, instead of doing her homework. She grabbed the green container and went to the living room and turned on the television to the first channel which caught her attention. It was a documentary about a family that mysteriously burned in the flames of their large mansion. The accused was their twenty year old son, who also died in the flames, though there is no actual evidence that the son did it or why he died in the flames if he was the one who burnt the place down in the first run. The only proof the prosecutor had was the young man's lover, a servant of the family, who claimed that the young man wanted her to run away with him. The screen flashed to a brief case that the police found in the son's bedroom, stacked with a lot of hundred dollar bills, which was ready to be taken by the son and his lover to a far away place where they could be happy.   
  
Quistis snorted at those last few lines. "A far away place, where they could be happy?" She flipped open the Pringles container and reached inside, taking out one chip and stuffing it hungrily into her mouth. "There is no such happy place anywhere," she mumbled with a full mouth.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a bang on the door. Quistis quickly turned off the television and turned her head towards the door. It banged louder, then the door knob began to twist open. About a moment later, Quistis saw a pair of large familiar shoes and a man walking in, with bloodshot eyes.  
  
"You stupid, bitch! What the hell are you doing sitting here instead of getting me dinner!?" he yelled, stomping his large feet towards her.  
  
Quistis winced as her father slammed the door behind him. She quickly put the pringles down on the coffee table and stood up, her eyes turning into thin slits from fright. "I uh... Well, Aunt Charlotte isn't here and-"  
  
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT CHARLOTTE! IF SHE'S NOT HERE THEN COOK SOMETHING! YOU'RE DAMN WORTHLESS!" He grabbed his daughter's arm roughly and pulled her towards the kitchen. Quistis could smell the alcohol from his breath as he spoke into her face. She felt herself being pushed inside the kitchen, practically shoved on the floor by her own father. Quistis quickly looked up, her eyes widening in fear as her father hovered over her. "WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT!? GET ON WITH THE COOKING!"  
  
Quistis was still too scared to move. Her body would not get up at the sound of her father's voice. She was still too traumatized, even though it happens to her a lot. "I...I'm sorry, I'll get on it, right away!" She was about to stand up, but was too late. She felt something hard hit her cheek, leaving her almost unconscious. The blond felt strong hands grasping the collar of her shirt, almost lifting her off of the ground, then felt the same it again on the same cheek. She could hear her father's hatred in her ears.   
  
Hatred for the only daughter he wished he hadn't raised.  
  
"YOU STUPID BRAT! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK IN HERE, EAT PRINGLES AND NOT CARE ABOUT MY HUNGER?!"   
  
"I... I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I'll cook something! I will!"   
  
Satisfied by her words, Sean let go of his daughter, dropping her back on the floor. Quistis stayed there for a few more seconds, then quickly got up on her feet, turning towards the stove to start dinner. She could still feel her cheeks stinging from his slaps and no matter how she wanted to touch it and caress it in her palms, she dared not to. Her father will become more angry.  
  
"Forget it!" Her father's voice was getting soft now. "I'll go get something to eat! You can stay here and eat whatever you want!"   
  
Sean staggered towards the dining room table, paused behind a chair, then slowly made his way to the back door, where he disappeared out of sight. Quistis suddenly took that moment to take a deep breath. She had almost forgotten that she was holding her breath a bit while her father made it clear to her about what she should do every time she came home from school.   
  
The young blond turned off the stove, leaned her back against the refrigerator nearby and slid down until she felt her bottom touch the ground. Tears fell from her eyes, streaming down her face like a never ending flow of emotions. She buried her face in her hands and wept for the longest time that night. Now she can never go to the party tonight. What will she tell Selphie and Zell about the bruise on her face. She shouldn't let them know. She mustn't! Quistis didn't want both her friends involved in something she can never face on her own.  
  
  
  
********************  
  
  
  
~Saturday~  
  
Bryan Almasy was proud to be a father to a young man who has grown quite... adult in the last seventeen years. Seifer was STILL growing and soon, he will be towering over the short, 5'6 bald man who had stopped growing when he was only seventeen himself. He watched, as his only son helped load the largest luggage on top of the car and aided Halle tie a rope around it to keep it secure. Inside the rectangle shaped, black Carion luggage, as Bryan remembered, were all the hiking gears they were going to need when they go trekking up the snowy mountains.   
  
"Seify!!!!" yelled a very excited little girl. Bryan looked up, almost laughing at Dominique's cute nickname for her step older brother and watched the little blond girl running towards Seifer, carrying her favorite Raggity Anne Doll in her arms. "Can I get a piggy back wide?"  
  
When he was finished loading the hiking gears, he looked down at the small form of his little sister and stared at her strangely. "Now?"  
  
Dominique lifted up an arm towards him and nodded, smiling. "Yeah! Yeah!"  
  
Bryan could see the irritation in his eyes, but to his surprise, Seifer only shook his head and patted Dominique on the top of her brown locks. The bald man was sure his blond son was going to throw a fit. He knew that Seifer didn't know how to handle little kids. "How about when we get to the resort, I'll carry you ALL the way to the lodge? Deal?" He put out a hand towards her as if to 'seal the deal' and waited until her small tiny hand slipped inside his large ones.   
  
Dominique nodded. "K!!!!!!!" With that done, the little girl bounced up to her mother, who was finished putting in the last luggage inside the car, which was a small, pink back pack that Seifer guessed was probably little Dominique's toys and everything she needed while they drove to the mountain resort. The tall, lanky woman, stuffed her back pack gently in between herself and the compartment so it was easy for her to reach in and grab something that her daughter needed while on the road. Halle then picked up her little daughter and put her in her booster seat, near the window, so it was easy for Seifer to jump into his own seat. She fastened Dominique securely with the seat belt and kissed her daughter on the cheek, which made the little girl giggle in delight.   
  
Seifer joined the girl in the back later, sitting just beside her to ensure her safety and fastened himself in as well. "Seify! Wanna pway doll?" Dominique asked in a small, tiny voice.  
  
The blond looked at her and nodded gently, slightly smiling. "Maybe next time, okay?"  
  
Disappointed, Dominique frowned and looked away sadly.   
  
Seifer sighed, knowing he had hurt the little girl and reached up to pat her head. "Hey, how about I play with you when we get there, just like I promised to give you a piggy back ride?"  
  
The little girl's face lit up. She nodded vigorously, her blond locks, bouncing around her face. "Otay!!!!!!!"  
  
He sighed in relief, glad that he didn't make her cry. He couldn't stand it when little kids cry, especially a very energetic girl like Dominique. Besides, she was his little sister and he would have to get used to the fact that she will be begging for attention from him from now on.  
  
Bryan smirked and when he did, it showed that he was, in fact, related to his son. He joined his family inside the car, putting the keys inside the ignition and closed the door. Other doors in the 2004 Dodge Caravan closed after him. All heads turned to the direction of their Asian helper, Rio and waved. "We'll be back late Sunday, Rio," Bryan announced.  
  
The woman nodded, waving her hand good bye.  
  
The van pulled out of the long driveway. Seifer watched the Asian helper shrinking from view, then disappear from his sight inside the house.   
  
About a couple minutes later, the Caravan had hit the highway, heading towards the direction of Mount Rainier, the mountain lodge. Seifer felt his heart jump in excitement, thinking about all the interesting things he was going to be doing.  
  
Seifer glanced at the little girl sitting beside him. For a two year old, Dominique Almasy was a girl who could speak like a normal ten year old would. She was smart for her age and knew exactly the big words her father and Seifer exchange each other. Sometimes she would jump in, make the conversation even more interesting when Seifer and Bryan talked about the climate that will be assuming today in the mountains. Dominique could use big words that no other two year old could and Seifer was impressed.  
  
The one thing he wanted the most once they arrive at the lodge was to spend this time with his father and the family he will learn to love and cherish forever...  
  
  
  
*******************  
  
  
  
The morning was, as usual something new. Everyday was new for her and the bruise she received from her father last night was definitely new.   
  
Quistis got up quickly, taking out a concealer from her drawer and dabbed it ever so gently over the bruise that formed around her left eye. She made sure she put just enough so her Aunt and cousin would not notice. At least, today, she didn't have to worry about them eyeing her suspiciously so much, because she was going to spend the rest of the day with Selphie at the prison to visit her brother. It turned out, her brother was transferred over at the Whitcomb State Penitentiary just last night, which was closer to where she lived than the one where he took his rehab program at. Selphie called her in the middle of the night, asking for her to come and meet Garrett and Quistis agreed to go with her. It would give her a chance to go out for a while and check out the nice places in Downtown Seattle.   
  
"Quistis! Selphie's at the door for you!" Aunt Charlotte yelled from downstairs. She had told her Auntie about her trip to prison to see her friend, Selphie's brother.   
  
The blond looked stared at the door, as if expecting her Aunt to burst inside her room and see her trying to cover the bruised marks. "Coming!" she yelled back. She glanced at her face through the mirror and made sure the bruise was completely covered and when she was satisfied, she left her room and went downstairs. Luckily, Aunt Charlotte was already at the kitchen by the time she made it all the way down to meet Selphie. She knew that Charlotte had X ray visions and could tell from a million miles away what a bruise looked like. Unlike Charlotte, Selphie was more reliable. She would never question anything odd about her face, like her Aunt would, because she didn't need to. Selphie probably noticed already how uncomfortable it was for her to explain the marks. Quistis was glad to be her friend.  
  
"I'm leaving now, Auntie!" Quistis called.  
  
Charlotte peeked her head through the kitchen and nodded. "Okay! What time will you be back?"  
  
Quistis glanced at Selphie, wondering the same thing, but all she got from her friend was a shrug. "Well uh... I'll probably be back around... six in the evening! Is that okay?" She stepped through the door, then heard her Aunt talk again. The blond paused for her to continue.  
  
Charlotte nodded. "All right! Please be careful!"  
  
"Okay!" She closed the door behind her and joined Selphie inside her tiny, grey Mazda Miata that only she and Quistis alone could fit. Quistis thought it was a rather cute car as she hopped inside the passenger seat, secured herself with the seat belt and closed the door shut. Selphie did the same, putting the key into the ignition and started the car.   
  
The small, tin-can like car drove out of the driveway and headed straight to the direction of Downtown Seattle.   
  
"I wonder what my brother looks like now!" Selphie squeaked as she changed lanes to hit exit 140 towards Whitcomb County. Suddenly, her smiled faltered. The bouncy haired girl glanced at her blond friend and raised an eyebrow curiously. "By the way, Quistis, what's with the bruise in your eye that you covered so badly?"  
  
Quistis frowned. She guessed Selphie wrong after all. "I thought you were smarter than this, Selphie?" The blond suddenly felt angry for asking such a personal question.  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
The blond folded her arms across her chest and looked away, towards the window.   
  
Selphie bit her lip nervously, glancing quickly at her friend beside her. She was about to rebutt the question, when Quistis spoke again, shutting her up.  
  
"I... it's nothing. I accidentally tripped and my eye hit the doorknob as I fell. It's no big deal." She looked at Selphie and forced a smile on her face to assure her that she had no reason to be worried, seeing that the brunette wore a concerned look on her face.   
  
After that...   
  
Selphie never asked again.  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Heh heh, I decided to skip Sunday for the two. I was thinking of leaving some Saturday and the rest of Sunday for Zell and Selphie, since it kinda continues with Selphie about visiting her brother in prison. I will continue the story with Seifer's weekend in upcoming chapters! Tooda loo! ^_^. 


	11. The Weekend Part Two

Note: SORRY! I have been trying to figure out how to continue the rest of the story with the weekend and besides...you can't blame me for trying to have a good time in the summer right? *grins wide* Anyways, the chapter you've been anticipating! The second part of the weekend, starring Selphie and Zell! ^^  
  
  
  
Chapter 11 - The Weekend Part Two   
  
  
  
~Saturday~  
  
  
  
They arrived at the building at around three o'clock in the afternoon. The building of the prison cell was visible behind the tall trees and bushes and Selphie could see the dull coloring of the walls and the barred up windows. First, the car had to go through some heavy inspection (to make sure there was no screw or any tools set the prisoners free) before she drove it down the parking lot provided at the front. Selphie was excited to see her brother again. After a few months of not being able to talk to him, other than by letters, she wondered what he would look like. He told her one time he would have sent her his recent picture, but prison cells didn't have cameras. The bouncy brunette was just looking around quietly as her and Quistis walked down the main hall, when the blond spoke to her.  
  
"So, how old is your brother now?"   
  
Selphie glanced at her and smiled. Her eyes wandered towards her black eye, then tore them away from it, then replied, "Oh, he's nineteen!"   
  
Quistis nodded, then once again, the two continued to walk down in silent, following a large, dark skinned guard. They followed him towards a dark corridor, then inside a bright room with rows of chairs all aligned behind a table with a glass wall attached at the top. On the tables were the old-style telephones and through the glass windows, were small little slits that shows that 'something' goes through there. The guard pointed to the chair in the very middle of the room and Selphie thanked him quietly, before sitting down on the chair. Quistis sat on a chair provided for her beside Selphie.  
  
"His sister is here to see him." The dark skinned guard spoke, looking at the guard on the other side of the glass window standing by another door. This guard was caucasian and by the other guard's request, he nodded and left for the door to fetch her brother. He appeared a few seconds later, followed by a tall and skinny short, brown haired man with emerald green eyes that resembled Selphie. Quistis knew he was nineteen, but with his disheveled hair and baggy eyes, she couldn't see the youth inside the boy. She saw a man, already having that stressed out look most men wore when they're married or just coming home from work. Nevertheless, Quistis saw the happiness in Selphie's eyes.   
  
"Hey, Tiny!!" the young man spoke, his eyes glancing over at the blond girl beside his sister. The smile he wore with the sight of his little sister, made Quistis change her mind about him being 'older' than he looked. When he smiled, he looked nineteen as he's suppose to be.   
  
"Garrett!" It looked as though Selphie was eager to hug him, but knew she couldn't because of the glass in between them. She reached for the phone to the side and pressed it against her ear. She waited until she noticed her big brother with his phone pressed against his own ear. "How are you?"  
  
The young man nodded and smiled again. "I'm fine, shrimp! How's Zell?"  
  
"Oh um....he's fine..." Selphie sighed. Was she lying to her own brother? The truth was... Zell didn't look good. Well, to her anyway. Zell may think he's good, but the thought of him smoking just like her brother did, made her gut churn. She would tell him when she was ready. After all...there was no hurry. "So, when did they say you were coming out?"  
  
Garrett took a deep breath and smiled with glee. "Next week! Like I said about getting out the last week of May! I can't wait to see everyone! How's mom and dad?" His eyes wandered back to the blond sitting next to Selphie. "And is she your friend or just someone sitting beside you while we talk?"  
  
Selphie turned beside her and blushed in embarrassment. "OH! I'm sorry! Quistis, this is my brother, Garrett. Garrett, this is Quistis, she just moved in town and high school about a few weeks ago!"  
  
Garrett nodded--the only thing he could do instead of shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you, Quistis."  
  
"Nice to meet you too," Quistis replied, a little red on the cheeks. Suddenly, she felt like everyone was watching her.   
  
"So, anyways, mom and dad are okay," Selphie replied from her older brother's other question. "They can't wait to see you again!"  
  
"Five minutes, Tilmitt," a voice spoke from behind.  
  
Selphie looked up at the same caucasian man who brought in her brother earlier and frowned. "Five minutes already?"  
  
Garrett shrugged. "That's their rule these days. I don't know why, but I have to follow 'em.... But we have five minutes so that's okay! Tell me all about what's been going on with high school for you? Are you going to graduate for sure?"  
  
The brunette laughed. "Of course I am! But this girl here..." She glanced over at Quistis. "Only a few weeks here at school and she's already recieving honors for her math marks!"  
  
"Wow, you must be a smart one!" Garrett said to Quistis.  
  
Quistis shrugged, her blushes never wavering. "Well I um..."  
  
"Hah hah! I guess we embarrassed her too much didn't we, Tiny?"   
  
Selphie nodded. "Sorry, Quistis! I couldn't help but show you off to my brother!"  
  
The blond nodded. "That's okay..." she said quietly.  
  
"So, Garrett.... do you have a graduation gift for me?" Selphie grinned, her eyes twinkling at her brother.  
  
All the older brunette could do was laugh.   
  
"Well do you?" Selphie asked again.  
  
Garrett winked at her. "You'll see...."  
  
"Five minutes is up, Tilmitt..." the same guard spoke to Garrett.  
  
Garrett rolled his eyes, only which Selphie and Quistis could see and stood up. "Well, I better get going." He cupped one hand around the phone so only he and Selphie could hear and said, "The man's pretty fussy about time... So I better not make him wait!"  
  
Selphie giggled. "Okay..." she whispered back.   
  
Once again her older brother winked at her and smiled. "I'll see you in a week!"  
  
"How are you getting there? Want me to pick you up?" Selphie asked, her eyes shining with hope.  
  
Garrett smiled. "If you want! I would rather have you than be dropped off by uh...." His eyes strayed towards the caucasian guard. "Nevermind.... I gotta go! Bye squirt! And nice to meet you, Quistis!"  
  
"Bye!" Selphie replied. She turned to face Quistis. "Well, let's get going! You promised your Aunt you'd be back by dinner right?"  
  
The blond girl nodded. "Well, I'm not in a hurry."  
  
"In that case, wanna stop by at this mexican restaurant? I'm dying for some tacos!"  
  
Quistis laughed. "Well, you're the driver, I'm not going to complain!"  
  
"Well, good because I'm going to MAKE you go whether you liked it or not!"  
  
  
  
  
  
*********************************  
  
  
  
  
  
There was silence in the air, except for a few puffs of smoke that blew around them. Usually, he never liked that smell, but in time, he had gotten used to it. It was part of him, his new 'life,' his new breath of fresh air. It was his home... One puff of smoke made him whole again.   
  
"This is nice...where's this one from?" He glanced at the perfect roll of brown in his hand and looked at it for a while, before putting it back into his mouth. "It tastes like Columbia to me."  
  
Kent smirked, taking his own cigarette into his mouth, inhaled, then let it float into nothingness. "Are you kidding me? Columbia has NO quality taste as Italian cigar does! This is vintage man!"  
  
Zell laughed. "Well, I'll take your word for it." He took another puff, then released it into the atmosphere and watched it fade into the horizon. He glanced at his watch and sighed. "Hey, it's almost six. I better go. My aunt and uncle are probably waiting for me now for dinner."  
  
"Dude, it's Saturday! You want to go to a club?" Kent squashed his Italian cigar against his boot and stuffed his hands into his pocket. "There's tons of other pots we could try out that are also from different countries!"   
  
The blond thought for a moment. It was a good idea to go to a club and have fun, but his reputation as a good, 'nephew' was on the line. Should he risk it? Kent's offer was indeed very tempting. As if reading his mind, Kent gave a wail of laughter. "Are you planning to be a good 'son' again Dincht? Hah! Hah! I don't think you qualify as THAT anymore....you're hooked with pot! It's too late for you now!"  
  
Zell joined in his laughter. He was right. There was no point in hiding his 'good reputation' now. Eventually, his family and Selphie would find out and right now...he didn't care one bit if they found out. The two boys laughed for a few seconds, before Zell joined Kent inside their car to the club.  
  
  
  
*************************************  
  
  
  
"Quistis, I have to show you something and please promise me you won't tell anyone or at least freak out about this!" Selphie slowly fished through her jacket pocket.   
  
"Come on Selphie, why would I freak-" the blond girl stopped in midsentence and glanced at the content resting on her friend's palm. "Oh.... Oh, Selphie please say you don't..." She was staring at something small and white and rolled up into a single piece of paper and Quistis immediately knew what it was.   
  
"Of course not!" Selphie replied, interrupting Quistis. She looked around, making sure no one was looking and then put them back into her pocket. "It's not me..." she continued, lowering her voice a little. "It's..." She took a long deep breath then said, "It's Zell."  
  
"Zell?" The blond girl was surprised. Zell? The football jock, Zell? "You mean your best friend in the whole world, Zell Dincht? The one who plays football for our high school's team?"  
  
Selphie just nodded rather sadly. "What else?"  
  
"Oh..." She didn't know what else to say at this moment. Quistis sat there, figuring out what to say, when Selphie finally spoke. "I want to tell him how I feel about this, but what if he starts hating me for it? I mean, it's none of my business after all..." She stopped, as if waiting for Quistis to reply.  
  
"Well, true, it's none of your business, but you're also concerned about his health. I mean that's one thing you should be worried about." She has heard about the symptoms of drugs. She remembered reading about them in the library when she had to do research about them. The blond girl leaned closer, her elbows rested on the table and peered deeper into her eyes. "How did you get that anyway?"  
  
"From his jacket pocket. No wonder he started acting weird. I mean sure, he eats a lot, but not as hungrily as he did when I saw him!" Her eyes shined with worry. What if the same thing could happen to Zell than it did to her brother? "I don't know what to do, Quistis."   
  
At this point, the food they ordered finally arrived, giving them time to breathe from the news that impacted them both. They ate and drank from their cups in silent for a while. One in a while, Selphie's eyes darted down towards the marijuana in her pocket, while Quistis' eyes blinked from behind her rimmed glasses worriedly towards her friend. It was after a few more minutes, until Quistis finally answered her question. "You should just talk to him about this, Selphie. You can't go on pretending you didn't see anything."  
  
Selphie sat quietly, then nodded slowly. "Yeah..." Can she really do it? Can she really go up to him and talk to him? It would probably be easy for some people, but this was far more difficult than taking a math test. This was Zell Dincht, her best friend, the one she knew very best. If she told him about what she did (taking the marijuana from his pocket without asking), then Zell would have a fit. She has known Zell to be temperamental over small trivial matters. And since Zell has known marijuana his only 'best friend,' it WOULD be like betraying his own 'best friend,' by another best friend. "Yeah, I think I'll talk to him."  
  
Quistis smiled. "That's a spirit!" She pressed her lips against her straw and sip some coke into her mouth, then pulled them back up. "So, are you going to talk to him tonight or...?"  
  
The brunette shook her head. "No, I think I'll talk to him tomorrow. I'll see him at church. And besides, I need time to think about what to tell him after the service." She looked up at Quistis, her eyes widening in excitement. "Hey, you want to come to church with me, tomorrow?"  
  
The blond bookworm thought about this for a moment, then nodded. "That would be great. I haven't been to church for a while." To be honest, she has NEVER been to a church before, except maybe at the time one of her father's close friends got married. But never in the sense of actually going to a church service before.   
  
Her eyes glittered in happiness as Selphie glanced at her watch. "Hey, it's almost nine. I can't believe we've been here nearly an hour or so!"  
  
Quistis glanced at her watch as well. "You're right."  
  
"My parents are going to be worried about me. My curfew is suppose to be at eight!"   
  
"Why didn't you tell me, Selphie?" Alarmed, the blond stood up quickly and grabbed her purse, then headed for the door.   
  
"I'm kidding!" Selphie yelled after her. She joined Quistis by the car a few seconds later and as she unlocked both sides of the car, Quistis was already frowning, apparently not happy by the little joke Selphie told her. "Awww, come on, Quistis! Can't you take a little joke?"  
  
The blond sighed, then nodded, smiling. "Well, yeah I can..."  
  
"Good! But the truth is, my parents DO get worried about me, since they know I've gone downtown to see my brother. What about your parents? Aren't they worried about you too?"  
  
Quistis turned away, her eyes watching the cars go by beside them. "I live with my Aunt and my cousin. My mom died when she gave birth to me." She spoke those words in a straight, monotone voice, without a change in tone at all as if she knew this was coming.   
  
Selphie turned away, her eyes staring towards the road in front of her. "Oh...I'm sorry...." Damn her and her big mouth!  
  
"Don't worry about it..." Quistis replied quietly.  
  
They had passed the tunnel that led to the heart of downtown and drove pass an intersection before arriving to another highway. Some cars beeped at them, probably by horny boys who were apparently staring at them through the car window. Part of Selphie was flattered they would see her as a cute girl, but part of her felt offended. She didn't think she was cute enough. She thought she was just average. "You're not average, Seffie!"  
  
  
  
~Flashback~  
  
  
  
  
  
"You're not average, Seffie!" someone spoke beside her. It was the voice of a thirteen year old, Zell. She found herself back to the little secret hideout they go to when they needed to get away from their parents.  
  
Selphie glanced at her best friend and frowned. "I AM average! I'm not as pretty as the girls in school, so why do you think I'm cute?"  
  
Zell sighed. "You're cute! Stop being negative about yourself!" He stood up and held out his hand. Selphie glanced at it for a moment, then placed her hand over his large ones. She was quickly lifted up on her feet. "Now, come with me. I want to show you something!"  
  
The younger girl stared at him curiously. "What is it?"  
  
The blond tugged at her hand. "Just come with me!" He pulled her with him and led her out of their secret place from under the bushes of a tree and out towards another large tree situated at the bottom of a hill in the park. It was the tree she considered rather unattractive, because it was rotting. He led her towards it, even though Selphie was hesitant and stopped right in front of the tree. "Okay, so what do you think of this tree?"  
  
Selphie looked at him as if he was crazy, then sighed. "I think this tree is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. I think they should tear it down considering its very old now. Besides... something could grow from it and what about the kids that play in the playground and-" she was stopped in midsentence by Zell's hand shooting up in front of her.   
  
"I get the point, but here..." He pulled her alongside him inside the dark tunnel at the base of the tree and stopped inches from what he wanted to show her. "Look."   
  
Selphie looked around. How on earth was she going to look at something if it was dark? "Look at what? I don't see anything!" She could hear Zell's heavy sigh, then a tug at her arm. She could feel him moving behind her, then could feel his hand on her shoulders, as if telling her quietly to kneel down on the ground.   
  
"Now, look down on the ground."  
  
The brunette sighed, then slowly moved her eyes down on the ground. "Zell, what are we-oh..." She stopped, her eyes now glowing in astonishment at the beautiful single white flower flourishing under the tree. Sunlight beamed down through the crack and down at the tree, adding a little spotlight to a dancing performer on a stage. "It's uh... flower!"  
  
Zell nodded, kneeling beside her. "Notice how it chose THIS particular tree other than the hundreds of trees in this park?" He looked at her and smiled. "That's because this old tree still has the potential to keep rain and flood away from this flower. This tree may have looked unattractive on the outside, but this flower makes it even more beautiful in the inside. Not many people may seem to care about the large, ugly tree, but from what I saw when you noticed this flower, you were taken by its beauty right? Well, it's the same thing as how I feel about you."  
  
Selphie blushed. She turned away, hoping he wouldn't see and looked back down at the flower. She was speechless after that.  
  
  
  
~End of flashback~  
  
  
  
"Hey, Selphie...?"   
  
Selphie jumped, almost losing control of the wheel and glanced over at Quistis. "Yeah?"  
  
"I've been calling you for a few seconds now, I thought I lost you for a minute there. It's a good thing you have the skills to daydream and drive at the same time or I would have been freaking out by now."  
  
"Sorry..." Selphie mumbled. She turned the car towards Haley Street and to the direction of Quistis' house. It was now ten to ten when they arrived at the neighborhood and everyone seemed to have gone to sleep already since all the houses were blooming in darkness. She parked the car at the front, glancing at the quiet house before looking at Quistis. "So, church starts at noon tomorrow, so I'll pick you up quarter to, all right?" She turned the ignition off and smiled. Selphie gave Quistis a small hug.  
  
Quistis nodded. "Sure! I'll be ready by then," she said, hugging the shorter girl back. She opened the door and hopped out, then closed the door back again. The blond girl waved, then headed to the house. Selphie made sure she was inside before driving away towards her own house.   
  
She was just turning the corner, when she noticed him standing there. At first she wasn't sure who it was, until she noticed the spikey blond hair and the familiar, blue jacket he wore. "Zell?" she called. Selphie decided it to be a good idea to park the car nearby and approach Zell. The blond was standing in front of what seemed like a house, but particularly NOT his own house. He seemed to be in a daze. She got out of the car slowly and approached the blond in a trance. "Zell?" she called again.   
  
When she was around ten feet from him, Zell finally answered. "Hey, Selph! I knew you'd be here. For some reason, I can't open the door with this key.. Do I have the right key?" He inserted the key again into the keyhole, then cussed when it didn't fit. "Damn it! Why won't it fit?"  
  
Selphie examined him. His eyes were baggy and looked tired and worn out. She placed a hand on his shoulder and frowned. "Zell, that's because this isn't your house. Your house it right next door to this one."  
  
Zell glanced at another house to his left and burst into laughter. "Oh really? I'm so stupid! Hah! Hah! I guess I'm out of it tonight!" As if not noticing Selphie there, he moved back down the stairs and towards his own house, giggling. Selphie watched in concern, but decided to distance herself away from him. She watched him struggle once again with the key before it finally opened. "Hah! Hah! Thanks, Selphie!" He said, without even looking at her. He stepped inside and disappeared from behind the door. She could still hear him mumbling, "I'm so hungry...what's to eat?" before he completely closed the door behind him.  
  
The brunette stood there for a few minutes, trying to hold back tears, but before she could stop herself, drops of tears fell from her eyes and on the cement. It felt like the whole world was abandoning her. He wasn't the one being betrayed. SHE was. She felt like she didn't know the real Zell anymore. She was dying to know the truth and was determined to find out from his own lips tomorrow. She wiped the tears from her eyes hastilly with the back of her arm and sighed. Yes...she was going to find out the truth.   
  
With that thought, Selphie turned on her heels and headed back to her car, driving away with more determination in her heart.   
  
Soon- she would find out.  
  
Soon- she would solve the problem for him.  
  
  
  
****************************  
  
  
  
Another Saturday, another practice to go too. It was his turn to drive the squirt to the soccer practice. Of course it was ALWAYS his turn. Ever since his father got elected, Laguna has never had time for his youngest son. Even when Cloud needed him the most, Laguna would book those same date to get away from watching the soccer game. He woke up much too early, considering this was the weekend and moaned out of bed, before making his way to the shower so the water would wake him up. It wasn't much of a help, when his mother announced, JUST as he was about to turn on the shower that the shower ran out of hot water and had to be fixed. Squall came out of his bedroom rather gloomily than usual. However, the first few hours weren't all that bad. The usual routine came to play. He had breakfast, minus the shower he had this morning, dropped off his brother at practice and went home to start doing his homework. He had nothing else to do, since Rinoa was out of town and nowhere else to go, while Quistis and Selphie went to downtown to see Selphie's brother and Zell...well, he had no idea where the blond was. He figured the coach probably gave Saturday their practice day since they lost from last week's game.   
  
Squall was just lying in bed, doing his math homework, when the phone rang. At first he decided to have the machine get it, but when his mind wandered off to Rinoa, he quickly changed his mind and reached for his phone on the bedside table. "Rinoa?" he said, even though there was a possibility that it wasn't her.  
  
"Hi, Squall..." He felt a rush of relief when he found out it was her. "How did you know it was me?"   
  
"Hey, Rinoa. Well, just a lucky guess." Absent-mindedly, he twirled his fingers around the phone chord and waited until she spoke again.  
  
"I was just calling to tell you... I was um..."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"About before. I'm sorry about running away from you. But I have to tell you this before you find out."  
  
Squall let go of his pencil and sat up straight on his bed, his eyebrows furrowing in curiousity. "Find out what?"  
  
"Can you please just listen?" There was an intent irritation in her voice. "I... I think we should break up."  
  
Something in Squall's surroundings suddenly turned black. Part of him died and part of him was torn up into shreds. Did he hear just right? "Sorry, I think I was daydreaming about what you said."  
  
"No, you weren't Squall." Now there was coldness in her voice that Squall hadn't heard from her before. "You weren't daydreaming. I said it from my own lips and I think we should because....well, it's too complicated to explain. Please understand me."  
  
"Understand YOU!? Why should I!? Don't you understand how I feel about this? Just when my life goes well because of you, it's because of you that my life will turn into HELL!" The words, he knew might have stung her, but he didn't care at that point. He was angry... TOO angry to care. He slammed the phone back to its reciever and stared ahead of him. He was breathing hard, imagining Rinoa's face when he slammed the phone in her ears. Just realizing what he had done, Squall stood up and paced around his room, trying to rethink about what to say if she ever calls or if he decides to call her and apologize for his behaviour. But none came out. He was far too angry to think right now. "I need to go out for a walk," he mumbled, walking out of his room and towards the kitchen.  
  
He was unaware of his mother peeking from the kitchen. "Squall? Honey? Where are you going?"  
  
Squall didn't answer, instead he left the kitchen without a word.  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
  
Rinoa felt tears stinging her eyes. Did she do the right thing? She glanced at the ring around her finger and took it out with her other hand. More tears stained her shirt as she placed the promise ring inside the top drawer and closed it. Is she strong enough to handle her life without him? She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and sat down on her bed. In the background she could hear her daughter crying for her mother. Rinoa stood up and went to the kitchen where Diana was sitting on her high chair, being fed by Patti with the baby spoon she usually used. "Hi sweetie!" She gave her daughter a gentle kiss on the forehead and Diana squealed in delight at her mother's touch.   
  
"You've been crying..." Patti spoke, glancing at Rinoa's red face.  
  
The dark haired girl smiled. "Yeah I was, but I'm fine now. Thanks..." Ignoring Patti's concerned look, Rinoa picked up her daughter from the high chair and carried her over to the crib in the living room. The kitchen opened up quickly to the living room so Patti could see what Rinoa was doing. The young mother kissed the top of her baby's head again and handed her a baby rattle before heading back to the kitchen. "I...I broke up with him," she said suddenly, sitting down on the chair beside her friend.  
  
Patti was taken aback. She never expected THIS to happen. "Really? Oh... Why?"  
  
Rinoa shook her head. "I don't know. It was the best thing I could think of. I.... I couldn't tell him the truth so I thought it would be best to just let him go before he gets invovled with Diana and I."  
  
"Isn't that what you want? For him to be involved with you and Diana?"   
  
The dark haired girl shook her head again. "I don't think he's ready to be a father to Diana. He has his own problems to deal with."  
  
"Did you even ASK him if he wants to be a father? Poor boy must be confused about what you said to him, Rinoa."  
  
Rinoa sighed. Patti was right after all, but it was too late. She had told him off and she knew she would never see him again.  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Yikes! Too much drama! Sorry for making you all wait everyone! Hope you guys had a good summer! ^^ 


	12. The Weekend Part Three

Note: Woah! Where have all my fans gone? :( Sorry for making you guys wait...AGAIN! ^^; Heres the third weekend part...this is Sunday and this is with everyone! Yeay!  
  
  
  
Chapter 12 - The Weekend part three  
  
  
  
~Sunday~  
  
  
  
She never expected a different kind of approach from a church. The blond thought she was facing the routine of a catholic church, instead she was confronted by a baptist community, quite different from the usual cathedral facing a wide opened altar and a priest. Where an organ was suppose to be, was replaced by a grand piano and two guitars. Quistis was even more surprised that there were drums with the guitars, creating a live band. Along with Selphie, they sat in the very front row, where Quistis felt more overwhelmed. Figuring it's where Selphie always sat, the blond decided not to complain.  
  
It was ten minutes to noon when people started filing in. They quietly found their own seats and began to pray silently for themselves. Quistis glanced at Selphie, who gave her an encouraging smile, before closing her eyes to pray. The blond had no idea what to do next, so she followed Selphie's lead and closed her eyes. From aroud her, she could hear faint whispers escaping from those praying. Among them, she recognized Selphie's to be quiet, yet had a longer prayer than everyone else.  
  
When a few second past at the time the clock struck noon, Quistis heard the gentle voice of Pastor Archer. He made some announcements, spoke some encouraging words before summoning the youth band to start worship. Immediately, two guitarists, the drummer, pianist and the worship leader positioned themselves on the stage. The worship leader was a young girl about her age with a very pretty face. In fact, all of the band members acquired pretty faces.   
  
"Her name's Alice Archer, the Preacher's daughter," Selphie whisperes beside her.  
  
Quistis nodded and watched the scene unfold before her. Alice had long dark hair, which reminded her vaguely of Rinoa's and bright green eyes. The girl smiled around her and as the lead guitarist began playing, Alice finally spoke. "Good afternoon everyone! Let's all praise the Lord today and thank Him for the wonderful day we're having!"  
  
"Amen!" someone yelled. Quistis glanced beside her at Selphie, who turned to wink at her, but suddenly froze when she glanced over the blond's shoulder. Quistis turned, following the younger girl's gaze and noticed, just across the rows where they sat, was Zell. He smiled at them, though at first he was surprised when he saw Quistis and waved. Selphie waved back, pretending everything was all right, but Quistis knew it wasn't. The taller blond thrust hre hand around Selphie's and squeezed it lightly. The younger girl seemed to have understood, because she squeezed her hand back as a response.   
  
After the service ended, Quistis joined Selphie as they walked towards Zell. "Hey, Selph! Quistis! I'm surprised you're here! I'm glad you are!" The blond male patted Quistis on the back. He glanced at his best friend, who seemed quiet today. "Selphie?"  
  
Selphie sighed quietly, careful not to make him hear how nervous she was. She wondered if he still remembers what happened to him last night. The girl's thoughts were interrupted when someone nudged her in the arm. "Oh, um, yeah, sorry!" she smiled. "I was just thinking about something."  
  
"Thinking?" Zell laughed. "About what?" He never knew Selphie to be preoccupied with her thoughts other than the service at church today.   
  
"Well, actually..." she paused, glancing at Quistis who gave her an encouraging nod.  
  
Zell glanced from one girl to the other. "What's going on?"  
  
Was today the right time to be talking about Zell's new habit? Here? At church? Selphie felt her fingers clasp together and for a few moments, she stupidly stood there, playing with her thumb and pinky. "Well.. you see-"  
  
"There you are!" came a very kind voice. All three looked up. A woman with short brown hair walked up to them, followed by a tall man with short dark hair and glasses. Selphie quickly whispered to Quistis on who they were. The couple approaching them was Zell's aunt and uncle who adopted him when his parents died in the car accident. Quistis absorbed this information in her head swiftly and watched as Selphie was being smothered with hugs and kisses from the woman.   
  
"Hello, Aunt Vanessa!" Selphie greeted. "This is my friend, Quistis Trepe," she added, nodding her head at the silent blond beside her.  
  
The woman, around her mid thirties glanced at Quistis and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Quistis! My name is Vanessa and this is my husband, Charlie."  
  
"Nice to meet you both," Quistis replied, shaking both their hands.   
  
Vanessa turned back to Selphie. "Selphie, I have been trying to reach you this whole weekend, where have you been? I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight and of course..." She looked at Quistis and smiled. "You are invite too dear!"  
  
"What's the occassion, Auntie?" Zell asked suddenly, obviously unaware of the dinner plan tonight.  
  
Vanessa turned to Zell. "There is no occassion. I just want to invite them both to dinner tonight!" She slowly turned her head back around at the two girls. "So, how about it? Is tonight at six okay with you?"  
  
Selphie nodded. "That's fine by me. Quistis?"  
  
Quistis thought for a minute. Having dinner with total strangers was unnerving, but then again, she wasn't with strangers. Selphie and Zell were going to be there. "Sure! I would be honored to come!"  
  
"Great! See you tonight at six!" She wrapped an arm around Zell's shoulders. "Zell dear, we should get going. Your Grandfather isn't feeling well and we have to go visit him right away."  
  
Zell's eyes widened. "What? Oh...okay..." He nodded curtly at both girls, then turned and left, following suit behind his Aunt and Uncle.   
  
When they were finally alone, Quistis turned to Selphie and frowned. "What happened Selphie? I thought you were finally going to ask him about it?"  
  
Selphie sighed, letting her shoulders sag to indicate her awareness of the situation. "I know, Quistis, I know! But I...I just..."  
  
"Chickened out?" Quistis said, finishing the sentence for her.   
  
The younger girl nodded. "Well I would put it in other terms, but chickened out is fine by me."  
  
The blond sighed, curling her arms through the other girl's as they walked out of the building. "Selphie, tonight is the night you should tell him."  
  
"That's why I'm SO glad you're coming too! I can't do this alone..."  
  
"Well I can't be with you when you face him..."  
  
Selphie sighed. "I know..."  
  
  
  
  
  
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The whole weekend wasn't as disastrous as he thought it would be. Eventhough he felt rather awkward around his stepmother, he felt quite at home, but sometimes, he found himself reminiscing those times when he was just a boy, watching his mother and father playing in the sand instead of him. Seifer would always sit and watch, and sometimes, people would find him reading books instead of joining his parents in the water. It was hard to believe that a young man like Seifer would read books, because now...Seifer Almasy was known as a rebel in high school. It was his way of expressing how he felt...   
  
Angry...  
  
He felt angry for two years. He sometimes blamed himself for their divorce and sometimes felt angry towards both his parents for making him miserable. He would still be making the highest grade, but it was their fault that they had fallen from A to C-. Math used to be his favorite subject, but it was no longer the case. If only his parents stayed together, then things wouldn't have been this hard to get used to. The blond was ready to fall asleep, tired of thinking, when he heard little Dominique giggle loudly. Seifer titled his head up at the sound and noticed her being carried unto the shoulders of her father. She looked very happy, but Seifer didn't feel like smiling for her. He could see the happiness in his father's own face, like he has never felt that happy before all his life. As if Seifer never really made his father happy. Maybe it was my fault... he thought. Maybe his father never loved him enough to be laughing so happily like he was now.   
  
"Seifer, what are you doing here? Don't you want to swim in the lake?" The blond looked up at the sound of a woman's voice. He noticed Haley walking upto him, smiling, but Seifer didn't feel like smiling back. He just shook his head, turning away from her and stood up, then said, "No, I'm not really in the mood. I think I'm going to go inside and rest up a bit or something. Maybe study..." Without giving Haley a chance to answer, he turned and walked away towards the lodge.  
  
Inside was quite different. It did not reflect the childhood he had with his father, but the memories kept flooding back into his mind. Seifer looked down at his backpack he chose to take with him during the weekend and suddenly felt the urge to look inside and grab the cue cards Quistis had given him. He picked up his backpack and opened the smaller zipper. He fished inside and took out the cue cards, then began to look over it. Suddenly, they were the only ones interesting during the weekend. Eventhough it was the last day of the weekend and they were leaving tonight, he felt miserable. The cue cards seemed to be the only thing that kept him sane. Seifer put his backpack down on the ground, then sat down on his bed, shuffling through the cue cards with sudden interest. He started to smirk (his way of laughing) when he saw the same drawing his saw Friday while he was looking over it. "Seriously, Quistis you don't know how to draw either...." he said to no one in particular. Just thinking of his tutorial and about the attractive blond who acted so much like a teacher than a student, made him forget of the horrible things he felt during the weekend with his 'new' family.  
  
"What's this about you not swimming in the lake?" The voice of his father, forced Seifer from his reverie and up at him. His father was just entering the lodge when he looked up. Bryan was wet from head to toe, but he had a towel around his neck. He only had shorts on and his hair was tousled everywhere from the wayer. He approached his son and sat down on the nearest chair, letting the water drip on the floor.   
  
Seifer looked at his father from the corner of his eye and noticed him waiting for his son's answer. Sighing, he continued to look at the cue cards and after a while, he finally answered. "I just don't feel like it."  
  
Bryan took a deep breath and glanced at the cue cards his son was looking at. "Are you studying?"  
  
The blond shrugged. "I guess..." he answered curtly.  
  
"I heard about your grades in your classes," Bryan announced.  
  
Seifer looked up, surprised, then turned away, frowning. "Mom..." he mumbled.  
  
"No, it wasn't your mom. Your teachers were the ones who called me. I told them to keep me informed on what was going on with you."  
  
"So you hired spies to watch over me?" Seifer felt heat rising up his face. He was tired of the interrogation from people, ESPECIALLY from his father.   
  
Bryan rolled his eyes, standing up. "Seifer, I didn't hire 'spies.' I only wanted to see how you were doing with your grades because I AM your father and I have the right to make sure you were doing fine. But apparently, it doesn't seem that way..." He walked up to his son and looked down at the cue cards over Seifer's shoulder. "Your math teacher was telling me how you were struggling in math mostly." He looked at his son. "So she gave you a tutor...."  
  
Seifer shrugged. "I guess..." He did not look at his father, whatsoever.  
  
The older man went to sit back down on the chair he was on before and looked down on the floor as if it was more interesting now. "Seifer, you used to like Math but ever since your mother and I-" He was interrupted when Seifer slammed the cue cards on the table in front of him. Bryan looked up at Seifer who was now walking to the small kitchen to look for food. "You know, failing math and other subjects won't help your mother and I get back together."  
  
The blond stopped whatever he was doing, then looked over his shoulder to glance at his father finally. "What do you know about how I feel? You were the one who left mom and me. You were the one who married to someone else after just two years! Did you really think I had it easier than you did!?" He was starting to feel his anger rising again. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A CHANCE TO EXPRESS ABOUT HOW I FELT ABOUT YOUR DIVORCE! YOU LEFT! I DIDN'T! I HAD TO PUT UP WITH MOM AND HER DRINKING AND HER THREE MEN!" His breathing was ragged and it was the only sound he could hear during the silence that happened after that. He lowered his voice, then sat down on the chair in the dining room table. "You didn't even care to listen two years ago about how I was feeling. I don't even know why I even came this weekend with you and YOUR family. I guess I thought that if I could talk to you, I could make you see how I wanted you and mom back together, but I didn't get a chance to, because you were too eager to put me part of YOUR family!" He fell silent after that.  
  
Silence also filled the room after Seifer's words.  
  
Silence was even worse that same night when they were packing. Bryan and Seifer did not speak to each other, neither did Haley, because she was afraid to produce more problems for them. The only sound that was making, was Dominique's constant talking. They went out to dinner to a small restaurant, but neither son, nor father even saw eye to eye. Haley kept silent, keeping herself occupied with her daughter.  
  
Around five o'clock in the evening, they were now driving in the highway. Seifer sat silently beside his new sister, giving small glances at her and smiling at her so Dominique didn't feel like she wasn't wanted. Bryan saw this through his rearview mirror, but did not talk. Once in a while, Haley would look behind her at Dominique, to see how she was doing and would sometimes catch Seifer playing with her.   
  
They arrived at around nine o'clock in the evening. Seifer took out his luggage and his backpack from the trunk of the van. He kissed his little sister in the forehead, giving her a slight hug and nodded at his stepmother as he stepped out. It was at that one momen did he see his father eye to eye. He stood there, staring at his father, Bryan's hands suddenly gripping around the steering wheel. Both of them dared not to break off the eye contact from each other. They were trying to figure out what to do next, but before they had a chance to decide, Seifer was the first one to break contact. "Bye..." he mumbled. He turned, without even looking back, then made his way into the house. He could hear the van driving off and Dominique's little voice saying good bye as they fade off into the distance.  
  
Seifer unlocked the door to his house and stepped inside, dragging his luggage behind him. Inside, it was dark. The blond glanced at his watch. It was only half past nine, and it was far too early to be sleeping, especially for his mother. She usually slept later than that. Where was she?  
  
As if answering his question, a light suddenly flickered on in the kitchen. Startled, the blond looked up at the sound of footsteps coming towards him. A shadowed figure appeared from behind the kitchen. "What took you so long?" the figure spoke.  
  
The blond knew who it was now. "There was traffic," he simply said, making his way up the stairs. He didn't wait for his mother's reply, instead, he went to his room, pulling the luggage behind him, then closed the door. Seifer plopped on his bed, thinking about what had happened between him and his father. He hated his father now...He hated his mother even more. But deep down in his heart... He knew he loved them.  
  
  
  
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Dinner was quite a story to forget. She felt relieved when she was finally able to leave that night. Quistis wanted to stay longer of course, because the thought of coming home to see her father drunk once again, was quite unnerving. Her Aunt wouldn't be coming home again because the people who hired her to decorate the house was out on vacation and they had asked her to watch over the house for a couple of days. Travis was always away and she had no idea where he was now.   
  
As she walked down the street in the darkness, she thought about where Selphie and Zell's relationship would go from here after Selphie told her that she had asked Zell about the little 'accident' she stumbled into from his jacket pocket. They excused themselves after dinner, because Selphie asked him to and they made their way into the living room where no one could hear them from the dining room. Quistis could hear murmurs though, but only murmurs and she couldn't understand what they were saying. Zell's Aunt and Uncle were curious. They were even asking Quistis what was going on, but Quistis just shrugged, pretending she didn't know.   
  
After a few minutes, Zell came out looking upset, while Selphie was nowhere to be seen. Quistis could hear the front door closing. The blond young man looked at her and frowned, then he glanced at his Aunt and Uncle. "Selphie had to go," he told them. Quistis knew he was lying and she was eager to go after Selphie, but she would feel rude if she did that. He sat back down beside Quistis and continued to eat. His Aunt and Uncle looked at each other, then said nothing. Instead, they continued to eat, just silently. Quistis did the same thing.  
  
The blond jumped back to the present. Quistis decided to call Selphie when she got home, but her destination was interrupted when her father came bursting out of the door. His face looked red as usual, a sure sign that he was once again drinking. "Come here!" he hissed, grabbing her arm and dragging her back inside. Quistis winced, questions running in her head. What did she do?   
  
Sean pulled his daughter with him, then pushed her hard into the kitchen, forcing Quistis to fall flat on her butt on the floor once again. "WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!?" He leaned down and slapped his daughter across the cheek. "I've been waiting for two and a half hours for you to make me dinner, but you never came!!!" The smell of alcohol from her father's breath made her wince. He struck her again, but this time, with his fist. Quistis could feel the bones crack in her jaw, but she did not move.   
  
"I...I left you a message that I was going to dinner with Selphie at Zell's house..." she replied meekly.  
  
Sean kicked the cabinet beside her. "I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU WERE! YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO MAKE ME DINNER EVERYTIME I CAME HOME!"   
  
"I'm sorry..." Quistis said quietly. Why does she let him do this to her? She placed a single hand over her bruised cheek, then she felt stinging tears streaming down on them. "I'll...I'll go make one now..."  
  
"FORGET IT! I'm going to the bar..." With that said, he turned and left, leaving Quistis bruised and scarred on the floor. Shaking, she stood up and waited until she heard her father's truck drive off. Slowly, she made her way up the stairs and into the living room, where she decided to sleep until Monday came. She thought about Selphie and made a decision to talk to her at school instead of calling her on the phone. She was too shaky to speak with anyone at the moment.   
  
  
  
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"Zell, there's something I would like to know..." She fidgeted with her fingers, looking down nervously on the ground.  
  
"Sure thing, Selph, what is it?" Zell looked at her, smiling.  
  
Selphie looked up and noticed him grin. She wished he wouldn't grin like that, but she needed to tell him now. "Are you smoking pot?" she asked, more direct than she anticipated, but she didn't care. She HAD to know.  
  
"What?" Zell stopped breathing, shocked by her question. "Where did you get that idea...?"  
  
"Just tell me the truth, Zell..." Selphie took a deep breath.  
  
The blond man looked at her strangely, then finally shook his head. "No."  
  
"What?" She was surprised. Was he lying to her?  
  
"I said, no, I don't smoke pot. Wherever you got the idea, you misunderstood." He looked at her straight in the eyes, telling her he wasn't lying, even though he was. "So, you should stop yourself from worrying about it too much. You know me better than that, Selph!" He laughed. "You silly girl!"  
  
Selphie didn't buy it. He was a bigger actor than a liar. She frowned, tears now flooding her eyes. Without thinking, she nodded. "I guess I am a silly girl. And I guess I don't know you that well anymore." She turned around, facing the front door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Zell asked. "We still have dinner to finish."  
  
"No...we don't..." With that said, she left, without even giving Zell a chance to reply back. However, Selphie paused by the door and when she looked over her shoulder, Zell was already gone. A single tear fell from her eyes and on the floor. She could hear him enter the kitchen again and by this time, Selphie was out the door.  
  
  
  
  
  
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He kicked the stone out of his way and growled under his breath. He didn't feel like going to dinner, because he didn't feel like looking at his father for abandoning his youngest son ONCE AGAIN for a stupid meeting. He didn't want to stay home either, to hear the phone ring and then expect Rinoa to call, when he knew she wouldn't. He knew their relationship was done for, but at the same time, he was eager to know, why. Squall walked over to the bench in the nearest park from his school and sat down. He glanced at his watch and read that it was now, quarter to ten. Tomorrow, he had school. Tomorrow, he might see Rinoa in the hallway. But right now, he could care less. The only thing in his mind now was what to do when he got home from wandering aimlessly in the dark. He would expect to see his mother angry with him for not calling and telling her where he was. His father would probably be angry as well, but his lectures would soon be interrupted by a phone call from one of his 'men from work.' Cloud would be asleep by now, but still wondering where his older brother was.   
  
Sighing, he decided to go back. It was getting boring in the park anyway. Squall also thought he should walk by the store where Rinoa works, hoping he could talk to her before school tomorrow and ask why she broke up with him. As he reached the main road where the city was more sleepless, all the shops were getting ready to close. The only thing that had its lights on, was the convenient store where Rinoa worked. He took a deep breath and walked inside, hoping to see her behind the counter of the cash register, but instead, he could hear talking in the very back of the room, with Rinoa's voice included in the conversation. Squall crept closer. He figured she was probably talking to a customer, but as he neared, he noticed Rinoa's face from behind one of the shelves to be upset. A man was standing in front of her, his hands rested on one of the fridges beside her. He was showing her a piece of paper.   
  
"Rinoa, please sign this. It's better for her."  
  
"What do you know what's better for her?" Rinoa asked, pushing the paper away from her. She didn't move, instead she turned away, folding her arms across her chest. "I suggest you cut the threats and leave me alone, or I will have to call the police!"  
  
The man sighed, backing away. He showed her the paper again. "I already told her about us. Diana would be better off in a nice house with me, than in a dump that you call a house!"  
  
"I will NOT give my daughter up, you hear me, Ian!?" Rinoa blurted out.  
  
At the news, Squall's eyes widened in shock. His elbow slid from the shelf that he was resting on as he listened and at the impact, all the stuff on the shelf fell on the floor. The two voice stopped talking. Squall closed his eyes, swearing under his breath and looked up. Rinoa and the man were looking at him, speechless. "Squall..." Rinoa managed to blurt out. "What...what are you doing here?"  
  
Squall stuffed his hands in his pockets, then looked away. "Um...I was just coming over to talk to you, but you're busy, so I'll leave you alone..." He pivoted around and walked out. A daughter!? Rinoa had a daughter with THAT man!? How could she lie to him? After all these months! Is that why she broke up with him because of a child?   
  
"Squall...please stop!" He could hear Rinoa pleading behind him, but he didn't want to stop. He was starting to hate the world he was living in. Squall felt Rinoa's hand on his shoulder, stopping him on his tracks. For a short girl, she was able to catch up to him and he was even more surprised when she did. The young man pushed his hand away and turned around to face her.   
  
"What now, Rinoa!? Are you going to tell me now that you will be married to that guy!? Or are you going to tell me that you have another kid with him!?"  
  
"Squall, please listen! I-"  
  
"I don't want to hear it, all right? I've had enough news for one day!" Coldly, he stared at her. "I had no idea you were such a whore when you were such a kid!" He knew he had said the wrong thing, he knew that he had hit the most sensitive spot when he said those words, but he didn't care. He didn't care what she was feeling now. She didn't even consider his feelings, so why should he for hers. He turned and left.  
  
Rinoa stood there, speechless. She felt her heart literally break into small pieces. "That's not fair, Squall....That's not fair..." she whispered to herself as he disappeared from her sight.   
  
  
  
GoodGurl: *Sniff* awwwwww man! I hated the last part, but I just HAD to add more drama for both of them! 'Now what?' you ask? Find out on the next chapters! Sorry it took me soo long to write out, but I needed a break.   
  
Summary for the next chapter: Monday finally approaches and Seifer once again comes back for tutorial, adding more tension between himself and Quistis. How will this affect their lives when Quistis suspiciously wears large sunglasses to cover her eyes? And when Seifer finds out about the bruises she had after school, something in Seifer starts to boil. What does this mean? And Zell and Selphie... Their relationship continues to fry, but will Selphie give up? Will Zell keep lying? And what will Squall do, now that he knows Rinoa has a daughter?   
  
STAY TUNED! ^^ 


	13. Showing Feelings

Note: HAH! See? I've decided to be a little faster now! No more waiting for like a month! I am going to pursue for one week each chapter now! Yeay! But I better get more reviews! Come on what happened to those who reviewed my first chapter??? COME ON PEOPLE!!! o.O Oh yeah and things are just about to start heating up!  
  
  
  
Chapter 13 - Showing Feelings   
  
  
  
Slamming the door wasn't quite his plan to get his parents' attention, but he couldn't help himself. The anger flowed from his hand and it automatically slammed the door he was holding on to. Inside their two story building in which they called, 'home,' there was nothing but darkness and silence. As he stepped inside, the lights in the kitchen flickered on and Squall was nothing but startled by his mother's voice.   
  
"Where have you been?" There was worry in his mother's voice, but Squall was too tired to hear it now, so he made no response and decided to head for upstairs. However, his mother's stern voice stopped him abruptly. "Answer me, YOUNG MAN! You just walk out of the house and not come home after ten hours and expect me to be NICE to you!? Look at me when I'm talking to you!"  
  
Squall had no choice but to turn his head to look at his mother. He kept a straight face, careful not to be weakened by his mother's hard look. "I was just going for a walk, do I need to tell you where I go all the time?"  
  
Raine sighed, keeping a hard look towards her son. "I know you're big enough to take care of your own but..." He had won...she had finally given up as she turned away, sighing for the second time. "What's bothering you?" She looked up to stare into his eyes and this time, there was general concern for how he was feeling now instead of where he had been this whole time.   
  
The son of the Mayor took a long deep breath and shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He turned and went up the stairs without giving his mother another chance to talk. He was tired of these interrogations. He was tired of everything and everyone. His mother. His father. And Rinoa.  
  
Rinoa...  
  
His mind went back to Rinoa's beautiful face. How could someone so innocent be so vulnerable at the same time?   
  
Squall closed the door slowly behind him and sat at the edge of his bed. He buried his face in his hands and sighed. Why was everything so bad happening to him? Did other people had problems like him? Did they have problems that they know that can never get out of? No... maybe not...  
  
  
  
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Monday morning came so quickly like it was a flash of lightning. Why couldn't weekends be much longer? Normally, she enjoyed Monday, but this week...she wasn't keen on the day.  
  
Quistis looked at herself in the mirror. Purple coloring formed around her right eye and the same colour had formed around her left and right wrist. It was easy to cover the wrists, simply by wearing long sleeved shirts, but a black eye was a lot more tougher to deal with. She picked up her foundation and powdered over the swelling, carefully, because it still stung everytime she touched it. When she was finished, she looked at her face again and frowned. It was still showing and she knew she couldn't show up in school looking like something was wrong with her makeup. Then again her friends would start wondering why she looked pale, when it was just the white foundation that made her look like a ghost. The blond decided, that her best bet was...to leave her hair down so her bangs would cover the part of the bruise that she was unable to cover just by foundation, which was situated at the corner of her eye. She would have to be careful not to look up, but then again how was she going to answer if her teacher asked her a question? Sighing, Quistis glanced at the sunglasses on her dresser. It was rather too round for her to wear inside a classroom, but it was better than being looked at by her classmates, wondering what had happened to her. She picked it up and put it on. Indeed, it didn't suit her, but she didn't care. No one would look at her anyway.   
  
By that same morning, Quistis quickly left for school, mumbling good byes to her Aunt and cousin as they ate breakfast. "Quistis? You don't want to eat breakfast?"   
  
The blond stopped by the door, not turning to show her the glasses and shook her head. "No thanks Auntie. I'm not really that hungry." With that said, she continued to walk to school, careful not to bump into anyone she knew.   
  
And luckily, she didn't as she arrived to school. By the time she made it there, Quistis avoided anyone as much as possible and when her first hour of class finally came, she dashed into her classroom before anyone else did so she would be first. It was much easier to be first than be last and have everyone stare at her. She also decided to sit at the very back of the room, hoping no one would notice her sitting quietly there.   
  
However, she was unlucky when someone stepped into the room, just minutes before the actual bell. Quistis didn't care who it was, as long as her head was down so that person wouldn't be suspicious of her very round glasses, which was far too big for her face. The person had sat down beside her and was now looking at her, but Quistis STILL wouldn't look at him (although she thinks it's a guy sitting beside her). "What's with the large glasses, Trepe?" Indeed, with the deep voice, he was male. "Are you trying to impersonate someone?"   
  
Surprised at the question, Quistis looked up, her glasses slipping off of her face and falling on the floor. Seifer watched as the glasses made less noise than a text book, then looked up at Quistis' face. The blond male examined her face for a while, staring at the half-covered bruise on her face. Without a word, he bent down and picked up the glasses, then handed them to her. Quistis took them from his hand and put the glasses back on her face. She mumbled a 'thank you,' to him, before opening her math text book and pretended to read. Seifer watched her from the corner of his eye, clenching and unclenching his fists. He was going to say something to her, when more students made their way inside the classroom.   
  
"So I said to him....oh..." Brandy McFadden had entered with her two 'loyal' friends. She stopped her conversation in mid-sentence, suddenly distracted by the sunglasses Quistis was now wearing. She snickered, approaching her with a hand on her hip and looking down on Quistis with an attitude that annoyed Seifer the most. "What, we don't make fun of you enough already?"   
  
Quistis said nothing.  
  
Brandy made it worse, by sitting in front of her and continuing to taunt her with. "You know, I didn't know that Ray Charles was in town today! And blond too!" Her friends sat on both sides of her and were laughing at the comments she was giving Quistis. "Are you going to give us a little song and-!" Her teasing was interrupted when something hit her desk. Brandy glanced at the front of her desk, where a foot was attached to a leg, where a leg was attached to Seifer Almasy. "What's the big idea, loser brain? Is there something you'd like to say to me?"  
  
"Yeah..." Seifer smirked. "Is that the best name calling you can do, McFadden?" He folded his arms across his chest and just sat there, staring at Brandy's look of astonishment. She turned back around, never bothering Quistis....for now. Seifer knew Brandy was scared of him, because she believed from the rumors, that he paraded around, threatening everybody in his path. After hearing that, Brandy would never dare talk back to him.   
  
Quistis took a quick glance at Seifer, without turning her head and slowly smiled.   
  
Now just two minutes before the bell, everyone had started filing in the classroom. Most of the students in class were present after Ms. Fisher did a role call. She tapped the end of the large ruler against her desk to get everyone's attention and cleared her throat. "Okay everyone, settle down! Settle down!"  
  
All the students immediately quieted down and all their eyes were on their teacher.   
  
"Okay, so who finished their math homework from yesterday?"  
  
Brandy immediately put her hand up. Ms. Fisher was surprised that the snobbish girl in the school would finish her work on time. Usually, she would hand it in late. "Oh, you finished your work, Brandy? I'm impressed!"  
  
The red haired girl ( I don't remember if she was a red head, so bare with me!) shook her head. "No, Ms. Fisher. I just want to ask you...Are we allowed to wear sunglasses in class?"  
  
Surprised, Ms. Fisher shook her head. "Well...no, of course not. Why do you ask?"  
  
Brandy smirked. "Because it's unfair when QUISTIS is wearing sunglasses, while inside the classroom!" She pointed a thumb behind her. "And to be honest, if she is to wear sunglasses in class, it has to be at least fashionable!" She put her hand back down and folded her arms across her chest, proudly looking at their teacher.  
  
Ms. Fisher nodded blankly, glancing at the blond at the very back of the room. She was too caught up in the role call, to notice Quistis sitting at the very back of the room and to notice her wearing large, black sunglasses. "Quistis...why are you wearing sunglasses in class? Could you please take that off?" she asked, gently, smiling.  
  
Quistis looked up. Everyone had seen what she was wearing now and now they were laughing, except for her two good friends, Selphie and Rinoa and even Seifer. "I...can't Ms. Fisher..."  
  
"Why? There's no reason for you to wear sunglasses, Ray Charles!" Brandy spoke. Her two close friends snickered.   
  
Ignoring Brandy, Ms. Fisher asked, "Why not, Quistis?"  
  
"Because... because..." Great, Quistis had nothing to say now. What is she supposed to tell them? That her dad beats her up every night and... leaves for the bar after? Is she suppose to tell the truth? What's going to happen if she did? "Um...because..." Is there going to be a commotion? Will her dad have to be put in prison? She hated getting all the attention. Quistis gripped her hand around the hem of her skirt, tighter. "I uh... I-"  
  
"She has allergies, Ms. Fisher," Seifer suddenly spoke up.   
  
Quistis turned her head at Seifer, who was staring at Ms. Fisher. She was more surprised as everyone else was when he spoke up. He rarely spoke up, from what Rinoa and Selphie had told her and if he did, he would talk back to the teacher or to Brandy if needed, but never to defend ANYONE before. What changed? Seifer continuef to stare into Ms. Fisher's eyes, to show that he wasn't lying, eventhough he was.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Ms. Fisher finally gathered her thoughts together and nodded. Seifer knew then that she believed what he said. "Allergies? What kind of allergies?"  
  
"Do you really want to see for yourself if she takes off her sunglasses, Ms. Fisher? Believe me, it's not pretty..." Seifer replied calmly. Everyone started laughing because of what he said, but Seifer gave them all hard looks and they all stopped.  
  
Quistis smiled, trying to hold back her laugh.   
  
Ms. Fisher nodded. "Well, I guess it's okay for you to wear that Quistis. I mean you could have stayed home and rested a bit."  
  
The blond had the courage to shake her head. "Um...well, I didn't want to miss any of my classes, Ms. Fisher."  
  
The young teacher nodded again. "Okay, I guess that's understandable. We don't want you to fall behind in your classes now, would we?"  
  
"I wish she would fall on her ass..." Brandy mumbled, disappointed.  
  
Quistis glanced at Seifer again with the corner of her eyes, curiously. What on earth just happened? she thought to herself.  
  
  
  
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She never really wanted to admit it, but Quistis was actually looking forward for after school. She wanted to thank Seifer before for defending her, or actually, lying for her about her sunglasses, but he had quickly left after math class ended and was never seen again. Quistis wonders where the blond male would go missing until their tutorial hour. She was looking for him all over, even missing lunch in the process, but to no avail. It was like he disappeared out of the face of the earth. What if he doesn't show up after school? She wouldn't have the courage to call him or to go to his house and thank him after all the trouble.... would she?  
  
Quistis walked down the hall and made her way back to math class, just ten minutes after school ended. Ms. Fisher had left the door open and Quistis went inside without checking on who was there, before it was too late. "Oh!" she gasped, looking up. Seifer was already on the desk he usually used when they did their tutorials, reading a magazine, waiting for her. She took a quiet, deep breath and approached him. She set her books down on the desk in front of the young man and sat down. "I've been looking all over for you." She fixed her sunglasses on her nose. "I wanted to thank you for this morning in math class."  
  
Seifer didn't look, instead, he reached into his pocket and handed her the cuecards she made for him. "I was reading this."  
  
Quistis glanced at the cuecards in her hands. "Oh..." She looked up, then slid it back into his hands, shaking her head. "Well, this is yours, so you keep it."  
  
The blond male shrugged, then stuffed the cuecards back in his pocket. "Whatever you say..."  
  
"Why did you do that?" Quistis suddenly asked.  
  
"Do what?" He rested his arms behind his head and propped his legs on the table.   
  
The blond female gently shoved his legs off the table, forcing him to topple forward towards the desk, but he managed to stop his face from hitting the desk. Scowling, he glared at her, but she kept a straight face on. "Why did you defend me? Why did you lie for me?"  
  
Seifer looked away, folding his arms across his chest. "Because you're very amusing."  
  
Quistis' eyes widened and frowned. "So, I was just entertainment to you?"   
  
"Yep," Seifer simply replied.  
  
Her face was turning red in anger, but she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Uggh! You're impossible!" Deep down, she was hurt he said that. She was hoping he was going to say something else, besides something insulting. "Let's just get this tutorial over with, all right?" She opened her math text book to the last page they went over and started to explain that particular page.  
  
Seifer sighed and rolled his eyes. He leaned over suddenly and grabbed the glasses from her eyes. "HEY! Give that back!" she yelled, reaching over to grab it, but everytime she reached for it, he would move around to keep her from getting it. "Dammit, Seifer you are starting to piss me off!"  
  
The blond male smirked. "Well, now I know how you REALLY feel..." He looked at her and almost felt his face turn red when he saw the marks on her face for the second time. "Great way to hide your bruises like that. How did that happen?  
  
"Nothing, I just fell off my bed." She reached for it again, but she was forced on her feet, when he stood up.  
  
"Yeah...tell that to a person who BELIEVES you..." Without thinking, he placed a hand under her chin and forced her to look up. "And I don't believe you." He looked into her eyes.. they were very mesmerizing... very beautiful, but he knew he was just kidding himself if he saw she was lying to him. "You fell off your bed on your face? Yeah, that's very common... And the sunglasses...they really ARE distracting you know."  
  
Quistis forced herself not to cry and forced herself to keep a straight face. She wasn't going to be weak for him. She slapped his hand away. "Why do you care!? Why do you care all of a sudden about these bruises!? It's none of your business!" She picked up her book and stuffed them hastilly in her backpack. "I think we'll postpone this tutorial today. I'll see you tomorrow..." She turned to leave, but Seifer caught her arm before she could. The bruises on her wrist were painful and she had no choice but to wince as Seifer grabbed them.   
  
Seifer noticed this and reached with his other hand to unravel her sleeve to reveal black and blue marks on BOTH her wrist. "And did you also fall on your wrist when you fell off?"  
  
"It's none of your business!" She struggled from his vice grip, trying to set herself free, but he was holding her so tight, it was impossible to release herself.  
  
"It may not be none of by business, but I can't stand it when a coward like your father, hits on his daughter!" he hissed in her ear.  
  
The blond girl jerked her wrist from his grip and before she could stop herself, she swung with her free hand and slapped him across the face. Surprised, all she could do after doing that was stare at him and when she went back to reality, she turned to leave. She left Seifer speechless, but not broken. The blond male placed a hand on his red face and smiled. "You have guts, Quistis..."  
  
  
  
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The sound of the lunch bell broke him from his reverie. He turned off the engine and jumped out of the truck. His work mates were already stuffing themselves with the lunch their work manager prepared. Twelve hours they have worked and he was relieved when their employers decided to be generous and buy pizza, spaghetti and lasagna. His manager decided to make them work full time, since it was too nice of a day to neglect the hours they need to finish off building the mansion. Sean wiped his sweaty forehead with his dirty towel and stuffed it back in his pocket, before joining his friends at the lunch table to grab some food of his own.   
  
"Yo, Trepe!" Sean looked up to see Mark approaching him.   
  
"What?" The blond man replied, with his mouth full of lasagna.   
  
"Some blond kid wants to see you!"   
  
Sean furrowed his eyebrows curiously. "My daughter? Why would she come and see me?"  
  
Mark shook his head. "No, it's not your daughter, Sean! He's some kind of kid about your daughter's age who wants to talk to you about somethin.' He's waitin' at the front gate for ya!"  
  
Curious, he thanked Mark and walked over to the front where the gate was opened. Sean noticed a young man, blond, about six foot two dressed in a grey trenchcoat and looking rather miffed. "Can I help you?"  
  
The young man nodded. "My name is Seifer Almasy and I go to the same school as your daughter."  
  
Sean lifted a single eyebrow at him. "Yeah? Are you Quistis' boyfriend?"  
  
Seifer shook his head. "No sir, but I DO want to talk to you about her."  
  
The older blond looked at him. "Listen, kid, I'm really hungry right now and I haven't eaten for twelve hours. So, could you hold that thought and I'll get back to you-" But before he could finish his sentence, something hard hit him across the face. Startled, Sean stumbled backward, but managed to stand to look at him. He grabbed his broken jaw and glared at him. "WHAT THE HELL!?"  
  
At this point, to those who saw the hit, all his work mates gathered around Sean. "YOU SON OF A...YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!!" Sean lunged at him, but was stopped by two of his friends holding him back. "Let go, you assholes! Let GO!"  
  
Seifer shook the hand he used to hit the man. "Damn..." he hissed quietly. He looked up and noticed that Sean was ready to kill him and rip him bit by bit, but he stood there, unnerved by his threats. His friends all looked at him, curiously.  
  
"Hey, kid what's the big idea hitting Sean like that!?" Mark yelled, his face reddening in anger. Sean tried to launch at the young man again, but Mark, much taller and buffer than Sean, held him tighter to keep him from reaching the young blond.  
  
Seifer smirked. "You should be asking HIM that!" he yelled, pointing at Sean. Without another word, he turned and left, leaving a very flustered Sean and two tired men. They watched as the young man drove away, without even looking back.   
  
Mark looked at Sean. "What was that about!?"  
  
Sean shook his head. "I don't know. Probably some punk kid who wanted to pick a fight with me... I'm fine!" He pulled his arms from his two friends and fixed his jacket, before turning around. He headed back to the lunch table to finish his food. Mark and Sean's other work mate, Henry, followed after him, confused, but decided not to ask their friend about it again.  
  
  
  
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Once again, she was all alone. Lately, she hasn't seen her Aunt for almost two weeks now, or Travis for that matter. Quistis wondered if they both knew what was going on with her and her father, but chose not to think about it. She would have to focus on making dinner for everybody so her father didn't have to hit her again by not making any. She turned on the stove and the exhaust fan and left the sauce pan on the front stove, until it would boil. When it was hot enough, she put the chopped onions and tomatoes inside the pan and began to stir it. And as she stirred the two, Quistis' mind hovered back towards Seifer. She suddenly smiled, but her daydreaming was interrupted when the back door pulled open and slammed shut. Quistis jumped and looked up as her father entered, looking flustered as usual. She gasped when she saw a swelling around his left cheek.   
  
"What-? What happened?" Quistis finally had the courage to ask him.  
  
Sean did not look at her, instead, he walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of beer. He opened it and took a couple of sips, before answering, "Some idiot kid picked a fight with me today. Do you know Seifer Almasy?"  
  
Quistis' eyes widened. She turned away, not looking at her father. "Um...."  
  
"Is he your boyfriend now? Are you telling him things about me?"   
  
Her face reddened. "No, of course not. He's just a boy I tutor for math at school." She carefully turned off the stove and dared not look at her father, in case he was in a bad mood, but there was no anger in his voice when he started talking to her. He talked...normal...for once.   
  
"All right..." He said nothing after that, instead, he went to the living room to watch television.   
  
Confused, Quistis stopped what she was doing and listened to him turning on the t.v. She took a long deep breath and thought about Seifer again. She frowned. The nerve of him! He thought she wasn't going to be able to handle herself! "That jerk..." she hissed underneath her breath.  
  
  
  
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"The nerve of you!" she yelled into his face.  
  
Seifer looked at her, unnerved once again. "What?" He was staring at his nails for no apparent reason, as if preoccupied by it.  
  
Quistis felt her heart rate go up. "Uggh!" She started to pace around the room. It was after school, on a tuesday, back to their tutorial hours again. They were once again, alone, free to talk whatever they wanted to talk about. She stopped and looked at him again. "I told you it's none of your business and then you went to his work place and punched him! What part of 'it's none of your business' do you not understand!?"   
  
The tall blond calmly folded his arms across his chest and smirked. "The part where it says, 'your business."  
  
"What-?" She sighed deeply and rubbed the top of her nose irritably. "You know I could handle him myself! I don't need YOUR help!!!!"  
  
Seifer looked up, now staring straight into her eyes, but Quistis would not dare break their eye contact. "Your doing a good job handling it on your own... do the bruises prove that you can?"  
  
The blond girl frowned again. "You don't know who I am... You have no right to tell me how I feel! And I don't think I'm too comfortable with tutoring you anymore. I better go." She picked up her backpack and stormed off, without giving Seifer a chance to reply. Seifer stood there and smirked, even thoug, deep down inside, he wished he NEVER went to her father's work and make a scene.  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: See? A Seiftis...well, sort of! Quistis is soo stubborn ain't she? And hey Seifer went to Sean's work to punch him? Interesting...eh? *wink* 


	14. Revelation

Note: OMGOODNESS!!!!! I am sooo stupid! Thank you so much Iron Ethel Rackham for telling me! Ugggh! I really have to think about what I'm writing this time! Eek! Well, I guess it can't be helped anymore….@_@ Just think of it as an error which isn't really important…..But if you really cant get rid of it out of your mind…well you don't have to read this story if you don't want to…*sniff*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 14 - Revelation   
  
  
  
  
  
She moaned, getting up from bed. Monday morning was not her favorite day of the week. She wished weekends were much longer so she wouldn't have to face the dreaded classe that was math. Selphie wished she was smart like Quistis, but she figured the reason why she wasn't getting at least a B average, was because her weakness WAS math and her strenghts were mostly in arts and physical education. The bouncy haired girl sighed. She took a quick shower, wore her best outfit and was just about to head out the door, when she noticed the same, white tube she saw from Zell's jacket pocket resting on the dresser drawer. It was a good thing her mother didn't do laundry today, or else she would have seen it and would immediately think it was hers. She picked it up and looked at her. It was high time she faced Zell with the evidence of him using marijuana. She didn't want to listen to him lie again. This time, she was going to be firm on what she was going to say so there would be no more lies between them. Since Selphie didn't have any pockets on her pants and shirt, she decided to stuff it inside her binder and reminded herself mentally in her head to take it out and put it in her locker before she went to math class.  
  
It was as usual the same routine in school. She was dropped off by her dad on his way to work, was greeted by her favorite teachers and marched over to where her locker would be, but she stopped remembering she was suppose to meet her Japanese teacher before class started. Selphie glanced at her watch and gasped. She didn't have time to go to her locker, so she quickly walked passed it and headed straight for her Japanese class, forgetting about the single marijuana stashed in between the papers of her binder. Selphie knew gripped her hand around her binder and hurriedly made her way to the class. Inside, she was greeted by the warm smile of her Japanese male teacher. She thought he was handsome for his age of thirty-nine, with a wide, manly face and a set of teeth that were so white, it seemed impossible for them to be too perfect. He had squared shoulders, telling her once that during his high school days, he probably played in a football league back in Japan or maybe took up sumo wrestling, who knows!   
  
"Ah, Selphie I'm glad you could make it!" Mr. Mizumoto spoke, putting the book he was reading down on the desk.   
  
Selphie approached him meekly. She was still quite shy with their new Japanese professor. Ever since their past teacher resigned only last month, it was really hard trying to get used to the presence of a handsome teacher like Mizumoto. "Well, you wanted to see me about something, sensei?"  
  
Mizumoto nodded, standing up. "Well, I was looking at your grades and they are quite impressive! I wanted to talk to you before class starts about maybe joining the camping trip over at Osaka Japan this coming semester. Along with my college students I teach, I am taking them there for a little sight seeing and more of knowledge about the culture there! Would you be interested?"  
  
Selphie had forgotten that Mizumoto had two jobs. One in high school as a temporary substitute and one as a full time college professor. She was quite impressed with the hard work he was putting on both sides. And he was inviting her for a school field trip in Japan!? She was astonished with this offer. "O-Osaka? Are...what?" She was very shocked to hear this news and no words were definitely coming out of her mouth.  
  
The laugh that escaped from the teacher's lips echoed in the empty room. "You have four weeks to think about that, so don't worry about it too much! Right now, I want you to focus on your studies. But I would just like for you to know that this trip will be covered precisely by the school board in my college. They have given you support to come and since you're the only high school student that I am taking with me, the college board has agreed to let you in without expense."  
  
The brunette girl couldn't believe her ears. Did she just hear right? A free trip to Osaka Japan?   
  
Suddenly, the school bell had rung, interrupting Selphie's voice of reasoning over the whole trip from her head. She blinked, looking up at her teacher. "Th...thank you so much for this opportunity, sensei... I'll think about it..."  
  
Mizumoto nodded and watched as Selphie bid him farewell and left the room for her math class.   
  
Inside, students were already present and she was surprised because it was only three minutes until the second bell would ring for classes to start. Usually, many of her classmates in class would show up a minute before, just to piss the teacher off. But this time...something was different for some reason. She looked up and was shocked to find Seifer sitting beside Quistis at the very back of the room. She ignored Brandy's insults towards Quistis. The presence of the tall, blond male made her wonder. Was there something going on? she asked herself, looking from one blond, to the other. Quistis had on large, round glasses, which made Selphie even more curious.   
  
However, before she could comprehend the uncharacteristic manner Seifer Almasy was showing, Ms. Fisher stepped inside the class. She tapped hard on the end of the ruler on the table. The noise quickly died down, satisfying the teacher a lot more, then proceeded to do a role call. Selphie put her binder on her desk and tapped her finger on it, quietly, remembering what decision she has to make in three more months. Osaka....Osaka....she thought excitedly. She had family there and it was because of that, that she was fluent with the language there.   
  
When she heard Quistis' name being called, Selphie couldn't help but keep her mind back to her friend who decided to sit at the very back. After realizing she had missed a couple of seconds of Brandy's insults, Selphie had managed to catch up to the part where Ms. Fisher was asking her blond friend about why she was wearing sunglasses. Seifer defended her by saying that she had allergies and that it was not a pretty sight. The whole class laughed, as if Seifer was making a joke, but as Selphie looked at him, she noticed the way Seifer's shoulders tensed. He probably thought he wasn't trying to be funny, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  
  
More drastic note taking took place that same morning as Math dulled onwards until ten thirty. She was glad that it was over. Selphie gave a long sigh, but quiet enough so her teacher couldn't hear and slowly stood up on her feet. She stretched and yawned, allowing the students to shuffle out of the room, especially her blond best friend who quickly left, without her noticing. Selphie was disappointed, but something told her that she probably had a reason to be doing that. Seifer, of course, with his hands stuffed in his pockets, casually walked out of the room, without even acknowledging that Selphie was there. 'Oh well,' she thought, shrugging it away. She picked up her binder and quickly walked out of the room. She was going to be late for her next class if she didn't leave soon. The hallway would be VERY busy if she didn't leave soon enough. Selphie bid farewell to Ms. Fisher and entered the noisy hallway full of students.   
  
  
  
  
  
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Another math day passed, but more days to come. Midterms were approaching and Ms. Fisher was aware of the groans and moans she recieved from her students when she announced the arrival of the dreaded exams that most students feared the most. She looked around the room, satisifed with the clean air her first class had left behind. Sure, there were negative outcomes, with Brandy insulting her brightest student of all, but there was no damage. She had noticed that Seifer and Quistis seemed to be closer than ever.  
  
So, after reliving that thought, Andrea walked around the room, making sure there were no garbage left behind. Where Brandy had set, the desk was marked with insults directed to Quistis. Andread had approached the Principal many times about this, but since Brandy was the daughter of a wealthy businessman, Principal Belaford didn't want to take the risk of expelling her. Sighing, she moved on to the next table. Rinoa's, as usual clean. Squall's...or- what's suppose to be Squall's. His absence this morning made her curious, but she ignored that thought anyway and decided to move on to the next desk. Which was Selphie's. It was also neat and tidy, no marks, whatsoever. But something had caught Andrea's eyes. There was something small and white at the bottom of Selphie's desk, lying on the ground. She furrowed her eyebrows curiously and reached down to pick it up. After careful examination, there was no mistaking that the item she was holding was something that was supposed to be banned from all schools. She was disappointed to know that the item she found it from was from the bottom of Selphie's desk.  
  
Andrea Fisher sighed and stuffed it in her pocket. With the thought of visiting the Principal in mind, she quickly left the room and made her way to the Principal's office, which was only a walking distance from her room. She hated doing this...this was the only thing she dreaded of doing, but if she were to hide this from the Principal and if they managed to find out, SHE would be the one suspended from school. Her job was more important than letting her student off the hook.  
  
When she arrived, she knocked on the door softly. There was a faint squeak of a rotating chair moving, followed by heavy footsteps walking towards the door. She was finally greeted by a tall, middle aged man, dressed in an untucked polo shirt and slim, black pants. James Belaford was skinny and had receding hairline showing at the sides of his head, which he usually hid under his wig, but it seems Belaford didn't have time to do that. Hiding the aching to laugh, Andrea entered the room, as James headed back to his desk. His grin and goatee seems to be the only thing that showed signs of normalcy in Belaford.   
  
"What brings you here, Ms. Fisher?" he asked, in a moderate tone.  
  
Andrea took a deep breath, fished into her pocket and took out the item she found. "This," she simply put.   
  
  
  
  
  
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A tired hand reached for a sandwich and for a small, drink. And another. And another. And another. "Woah! Woah! Take your time drinking, why don't you?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. Selphie recognized a male voice, but it was a familiar voice, nonetheless. She recognized it to be one of her classmates from her math class. It took Selphie moments to realize that she had put at least six canned drinks on her tray and even the weight of the cans. When she noticed this, she yelped in surprise and almost stumbled forward, when a hand caught her from slipping backward. She looked up, face to face with Ms. Fisher.   
  
"Ms. Fisher!" Selphie said, straightening herself up on her feet. She put the six cans back down to where they belonged on the counter and sighed. "Thank you for that, Ms. Fisher. I don't know what I would have done wit-" but she was cut off by her teacher's hand shotting up in front of her.  
  
"I don't think you're going to be thanking me, after this, Selphie..." Ms. Fisher replied with a frown.   
  
Selphie looked at her curiously. She has never seen her teacher this serious before. She was usually seen with a kind smile on her face and the look she was wearing now, was scaring her. "Why?" She had a look of worry on her face now.  
  
Andrea Fisher grabbed the tray from Selphie's hands and put it down on the counter. She put a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave a weird look, as if she was trying to give a reassuring smile. "Just come with me to the Principal's office, okay?" With that request finished, she turned and began walking towards the direction of the Principal's office.  
  
The brunette obeyed quietly and followed suit. She felt a gnawing sensation inside her heart and Selphie was beginning to familiarize herself on what was going on.  
  
When they finally arrived at the Principal's office, Ms. Fisher was the first person to step inside, followed by a very nervous young woman. "Selphie...please, sit down," Principal Belaford said when he noticed Selphie coming in. He gestured towards an empty seat in front of his desk and Selphie obeyed promptly without a word. As soon as she was seated, Principal Belaford clasped his hands together in front of him and looked into her eyes. "There's a matter I need to discuss with you, Selphie and..." Through her emerald green eyes, he could tell that she had an idea on why she was there. "And judging by how you're looking at me, you seem to understand what I'm talking about."  
  
Selphie was not surprised, because from what she has heard from students who have been sent to the Principal's office before, spoke rumors that their six footer Principal had a knack for looking into student's eyes and figuring out what they're thinking. "Ye... yes sir, I think I do."  
  
Belaford nodded, puttining his hands firmly on his desk. "Then I guess there's no need for me to explain what Ms. Fisher found on the floor at the bottom of your desk?" He glanced at Andrea standing by the door, as if guarding it so no one would step inside without consent. He looked back at his student. When he saw Selphie's look, he continued by taking out the item the young teacher found from his top drawer and placing it on the desk for Selphie to see. "And I don't need a reason to know that this is yours..."  
  
Selphie hesitated for a moment, thinking of what to say. If she told the whole truth that it wasn't hers, but Zell's, which she found in his jacket pocket, then Zell would get suspended and he wouldn't be able to play in the football game coming up in three weeks. However, if she told him it was hers, she would get suspended and she wouldn't be able to go to Osaka. Either way, she was stuck in a whole.   
  
"Selphie?" Belaford called, who has been waiting this whole time for her answer which he never got.  
  
The brunette looked up and opened her mouth to answer.  
  
  
  
  
  
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"Damn! That was some hard work Coach gave us!" Kent said, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders. "And I could go for some smokes right now too," he added, glancing at Zell for a response. His blond friend was thinking of the same thing, when he nodded in agreement. "Then, let's go!" Kent was itching even more for the wonderful brand of Columbia. He really didn't like Italian. He walked ahead of his friend, walking faster than before.  
  
Zell nodded, moving his feet a bit faster to catch up to Kent. They were turning the corner, when Zell noticed Selphie opening the Principal Belaford's office door. Both boys paused, taking time to watch Selphie closing the door behind her. As soon as she looked up, she was startled to see them standing there with curious looks. She walked pass her best friend, but didn't say anything. Zell caught her by the arm in time, before she had a chance to leave. "Selphie?" He looked into her eyes. She had on the most serious look he has ever seen on her and it took him by surprise. "What's wrong? Why were you in Principal Belaford's office just now?"  
  
Selphie forced a smile on her face. She didn't want him to know anything. She didn't want him to think that she hated him because of what she did. "Oh, well it's the fact that Mizumoto-sensei asked me to come with him to Osaka Japan along with his college students. Principal Belaford was explaining a bit more about it." She had already forgotten about why she was suddenly angry with him. Then, she remembered that he had lied to her when she asked him about what she found from his jacket pocket.   
  
The blond didn't like that answer. He could tell she was lying to him. However, before he could ask anymore, Selphie jerked her arm away from him and walked away, not giving Zell a chance to understand why she did that. It took him a while to suddenly remember that she had asked him about the marijuana that she found from his jacket pocket and he lied to her. "Damn..." he mumbled.  
  
Kent looked at him, this whole time, quietly watching the scene with skeptism. "You're not going to believe her, are you? Osaka, my ass! If she wanted to know more about the place, she could have asked Mizumoto about it. He lived there and he knows more of it than Principal Belaford who lived only in England for a couple of years. What she said was crap!"  
  
Zell nodded. He knew that already and he had an aching feeling about why Selphie was in the office.   
  
"Hey, do you think she....do you think she TOLD the Principal about your stash?" Kent suddenly asked.  
  
The blond looked up. "What? How would she know about my stash?"  
  
His friend looked away. "Nothing..."  
  
"Do you know something, Kent? Did she know before????"  
  
Kent looked at him, then slowly nodded. "Yeah. I bumped into her last week and I saw it fall on the floor. I told her not to tell anyone about it. I even threatened her if I can remember right." He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I think I did."  
  
Zell's eyes turned into thin slits. "You knew about this and you didn't tell me!?" He grabbed the collar of Kent's shirt and shook him like a rag doll. "You idiot! Maybe she DID tell him about it! Let's....go...." He slowly looked up at the sound of Principal Belaford's office door opening. Ms. Fisher suddenly walked out of the room and stared at both young men. Did she hear the whole thing? Or did she know before?   
  
"Boys, you're suppose to be in my class right now," Ms. Fisher said.  
  
Zell and Kent nodded in unison. "Yes, m'am," they replied together.  
  
Ms. Fisher fixed her hair before, nodding her head. "I'll see you there." She turned and left for her classroom.  
  
They watched her disappear around a corner, before Zell turned to Kent. "I have to go and catch up to Selphie..."  
  
Kent looked at him strangely. "What? Why?"  
  
"Because... I just have to! Just let Ms. Fisher know that I'll be two minutes late." He turned and ran out of the building, calling Selphie's name. Kent sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets, his thought of getting a little smoke before the next class disappearing from his head. He walked to the direction of their math class and mumbled some cursed words.   
  
Meanwhile, Zell had finally caught up to Selphie, who was quite stubborn to listen to him calling her name. She was just crossing the street when he suddenly grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around to look at him. "Selphie....did you...did you tell..."  
  
"If I did, then you wouldn't be playing football right now," she replied, interrupting Zell. She dared not look at him. Had she really done the right thing? Sacrificing her own happiness for Zell's own? The one person who wished never lied to her about it? He was always the one telling her that she needed to be selfish for once to get what she wanted, but what Zell said...did it really mattered to her? What she did, now confirmed it, but why wasn't she happy?   
  
Zell took a deep breath. Did she really just tell the Principal something else besides him? He had to know. "What exactly did you tell him?"  
  
"I told him it was mine," she responded simply. She finally looked up, having the courage to stare into her eyes to tell him she wasn't lying. He needed to know that at least she wouldn't betray his trust.   
  
The blond's eyes widened in astonishment. He froze, not really knowing what to say. This gave Selphie a chance to turn and walk away from him. She couldn't face him now. She didn't want to look into his surprised look any longer, because deep in his eyes, she could see herself drowning all her happiness in them.   
  
"Selphie, wait!" He ran ahead of her and stopped just in front of his childhood friend, who was now getting flustered from all this. "Selphie, I'll show you that I can be your best friend. Come tomorrow, you'll see." He held her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "I hated it when I lied to you. I'm so sorry about that. But you have no idea how hard it is for me to walk up to you and explain everything that has happened ever since my parents died."  
  
Selphie's face softened. "You could have told me that you were having problems getting over their deaths! Instead, you turned to the one thing that you know, would lead you to fall back from football... Why, Zell? Why couldn't you tell me everything?" There were tears falling from her eyes now and she had no idea she was crying. She turned away from him, wiping the tears with her left arm. "When I asked you about it, you lied to me...You lied to me about it and I felt so lonely. I felt like I didn't know you anymore Zell."  
  
"Like I said, I'm sorry!" Zell suddenly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for an embrace. "Please forgive me..." he whispered.  
  
"No...please forgive me...Let me take this suspension in peace Zell, okay?" She removed herself from his embrace and looked up at him. "Go play football. I know your team is playing in the regional championships and I don't want you to miss that." With that said, she turned and walked away, but this time, Zell did not follow.  
  
  
  
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Slowly, ever so slowly, he stuffed his things in his bag and closed his locker. He ignored all his teammate's pleas, especially from Kent Marshall, who was getting irritated by Zell's quiet responses. "Damn it, Zell! You're such an idiot! We're going to need you in the game!" When he didn't answer, Kent slammed his own locker and followed him out the door. "Zell! What are your parents going to say when they find out about this? That means you also won't be in classes! Did you know that in this situation, you're suspended from classes AND extra-curricular activitied for four weeks?! That's a month! And that's AFTER our actual game against the Sentinels!!!!"   
  
  
  
Zell ignored his angry screams, instead, he put his duffel bag over his shoulders and walked out of the change room and into the hallway. Kent was the only persistent teammate to follow him out the door. The other players were too nervous to see him out, because they were afraid to associating with the 'druggie' of the school. People would spread rumors and their reputation would be ruined. "Zell! Hang on a second!" Kent placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and forced him to turn around. He sighed. "Aren't you at least going to see the game?"  
  
The blond shook his head. "I can't, Marshall. I can't be on school grounds at all. I'll just call you about it." He turned and waved his hand. "See ya in four weeks!"  
  
Kent growled. "Yeah well, maybe I won't!" He knew he was lying to himself. Zell was the only friend who he got along well with. Sighing again, he did the same gesture he did before, stuffing his hands in his pocket and walked back inside the change room. He was truly a friend to not tell the Principal about HIM smoking as well. "Oh dammit!" he hissed under his breath. His conscience was telling him not to say anything, but his heart was telling him the opposite. "Stupid heart..." he mumbled, ignoring the feeling.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Wooh! Finally finished that! Yeay! ^^ Okay, so Zell sacrificed his own happiness to make Selphie happy! Isn't that sweet!???? Eek! I want a boyfriend like him! Speaking of boyfriends.... Will Selphie and Zell FINALLY confess their feelings for each other??? Hm.....o.O 


	15. A Time To Heal

Note: The last time we left off Squall was he in despair when Rinoa brutally dumped him over the phone. Because of that, he didn't even come home from his walk for dinner and he issued another fight with his mother. Poor Squall....when will Rinoa ever comfront him? I guess this chapter answers that question.... Enjpy! ^^  
  
Chapter 15 - A Time To Heal  
  
  
  
Monday came by quickly than he expected, which was all the better because Squall was never in school anyway. That night, he decided to walk around town, trying to re-evaluate everything going on with his life. He couldn't stay home and face his father, who would just ignore him anyway, or Cloud, who would talk so much about his upcoming championship game that even Squall was getting tired of it. He wasn't upto having dinner with him, because he didn't want to show his little brother that he wasn't interested. Squall couldn't face his mother either. She would ask questions about why he skipped school today, or what was wrong with him. She knew he would never answer anyway, but Squall also knew how persistent his mother was. He turned a corner, making a swift turn towards Driver Street, then stopped mid-step. "Dammit!" he swore under his breath. He was standing in front of the grocery store where Rinoa was working. 'How on earth did I end up here?' he thought to himself. Squall stuffed his hands in his pockets and grimaced. His mind was too focused on Rinoa that his feet ended up thinking the same thing and brought him here.   
  
"Squall?" a female voice broke Squall from his reverie. He looked up and almost stumbled in surprise when he noticed Rinoa standing there, carrying a bag of groceries, which looked as though she was having trouble carrying. Rinoa approached him cautiously, but the items in her hands were too much to carry that she stumbled forward. Squall's presence had saved her, because he caught her in his arms before she felt her face flat on the ground.   
  
"Are you all right?" he asked softly, helping her with the bags.   
  
  
  
Rinoa smiled, adjusting the bags in her arms more comfortably. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered.   
  
Squall nodded. "Um...where do you want me to put these?"  
  
The dark haired girl smiled again and turned around. She looked over her shoulder and said, "Inside at the back of the store. Just follow me."  
  
Squall hesitated for a moment, then followed her inside the store. She led him at the very back and helped Rinoa put the things properly on one of the shelves. When they were done, they stepped back and watched the work they did. They were silent for a while, until Squall had the courage to speak. "So, how come you're working late again today?"  
  
Rinoa sighed. "Well, my Manager called me in this afternoon, JUST when I came home from work and asked me to come in and do closing today. She told me that we had new products coming in and she wanted me to bring them in the store. And..." She gestured towards the items inside the paper bag they carried over. "These are the new products."  
  
The brunette regarded the paper bag full of oriental chips, new version of the 'pocky' food and some more Asian foods that he was not familiar with. "Your new products are all Asian," he said a matter of fact.  
  
The girl nodded. "Yeah, because Susan wanted something 'new' for a change in this store so there would be more customers."   
  
Squall said nothing.  
  
And for a while, both of them said nothing. Squall awkwardly stood there, staring at the new items for no apparent reason. He wanted to leave now, but there was something pulling him back. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced at her. "Well, I uh...." he cleared his throat. "I better go."  
  
Rinoa nodded. "Oh...okay..." She looked up and watched him go, but she turned towards him and called, "Squall!" before he reached the door. He stopped and turned to look at her, curiously. She walked up to him and felt her bottom lip being gnawed at by her upper teeth nervously. She couldn't even stop herself from clasping her hands behind her. Then, she couldn't stop herself from crying. She could feel stinging tears streaming down her cheeks. "I... I'm really sorry about everything. I should have told you the truth...about Diana and...about Ian and...about my past." Rinoa looked up with tear stricken eyes and stared into his blue orbs. "I WANTED to tell you...SO much, but....I just...couldn't and..." She looked back down, ashamed to look at him again.  
  
Squall looked away. "Don't worry about it. It's okay." He turned around again and began walking away once more, but Rinoa's persistence stopped him in the middle of the store, just in between the shelves where the noodles and chips were held. He found himself suddenly face to face with Rinoa once again, her face red with anger.   
  
"NO IT ISN'T!!!!" Rinoa yelled. "Don't lie to me!" Squall tried to move her out of the way, but Rinoa, was surprisingly strong. "Don't walk away from me, Squall! Don't try to walk away from this!"  
  
Still, Squall would not answer.  
  
"Answer me, Squall! PLEASE!"  
  
Finally, he did. "Do you want to know what I think?!" He looked down at her, staring deeply into Rinoa's eyes. "If we are to be together, Rinoa, there should be trust between us! When I gave you that Promise Ring, it meant that we would promise each other that we would never lie to each other. It's a promise to tell each other the whole truth about EVERYTHING! When you didn't tell me about Diana and Ian..." He paused, taking a long deep breath. Being angry, he thought, was taking a lot of energy from him. "I felt like you didn't trust me at all..."  
  
"That's not true, Squall..." Rinoa replied quietly. She reached and grabbed his hand, then squeezed it gently in between her palms. "I have always trusted you! You have no idea that I felt guilty about my past!"  
  
Squall jerked his hand away. "I don't care!!!!" he yelled into her face. He bumped Rinoa out of his way and began walking off again. He was just about to step out of the door, when Rinoa's voice radiated in the store again. "I'M GOING TO LOSE MY BABY TO THAT BASTARD, SQUALL!!!! DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT THAT!?" He turned to look at her, his eyes widening in surprise. There was a mixture of confusion, anger and sympathy playing in his mind.   
  
Rinoa pursed her lips together. She didn't know why she said that. It seemed like the right time to say. "Yes..." she said quietly this time. "I....Diana will be taken away from me. Ian threatened to call the social services and report me that I am living in a very unhealthy home if I don't sign the contract."  
  
He felt his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Why was he listening to this crap? What does he have to do with it? It wasn't his problem. It was hers! All hers! But then why...why did he feel bad? Why was he feeling so angry? Why wasn't he walking out? What was he doing standing there? "And what do you want me to do about it?" he asked quietly.  
  
The dark haired girl looked away. "Nothing...I was hoping for a little help from you."  
  
"What kind of help? What can I do?"  
  
"This may be a stupid request, I mean why would you agree, since I lied to you, broke up with you and you found out about Diana the worse possible way but...your father is the mayor of this town and maybe...maybe if you could..."  
  
  
  
"Talk to him?" Squall interrupted, bitterly. "I don't think any of that is happening, Rinoa. My father and I aren't exactly on speaking terms right now. He doesn't seem to realize that Cloud and I exist. So, do you really think he would realize that you exist as well? He didn't even know that I dated you..." The last sentence containing the past tense, made his lips dry when he said it, but Squall went on anyway. "He may be a good mayor, Rinoa, but he's not a good father to me..."  
  
Rinoa nodded. "I understand...Well, anyway, I have to go and finish cleaning up." She turned and left without another word, whilst Squall said nothing either and walked out of the store, with a weary heart.   
  
"Dammit!" Squall swore under his breath. He kicked a nearby rock out of his way as he walked back to the direction of his house.  
  
  
  
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A single knock on the door, brought him out of his reverie. Laguna looked up from his papers and watched as the door opened, revealing his wife carrying a cup of coffee in her hand. She smiled and approached him, setting the coffee down on the table. "I thought you might like some company, since you didn't come to dinner again tonight," Raine said. She walked over to him and began massaging his shoulders.   
  
"Thanks," Laguna replied, looking at the papers that seemed to occupy his thoughts.   
  
"Squall didn't come to dinner again either," Raine added. "He seems to be taking up your habit now."  
  
Laguna looked up. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty again, Raine?"   
  
Raine sighed, walking around the chair and in front of her husband. "Laguna, you spend your time in the office, than you do with your sons and me. Is that what a father is suppose to do?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes, it's what mayors are suppose to do."   
  
"Laguna, your eldest son is having problems which I don't even know what about and he doesn't seem to want to talk to me about it. He needs his father to talk to, someone he can bond with man to man." She sat on his lap and wrapped an arm around his tense shoulders. "Please do this...for me?" She gave him the most puppy dog eyes he dearly couldn't stand her doing.  
  
Laguna sighed. "All right, all right. Where is he now?" He gently pushed Raine from his lap and stood up.   
  
Raine was glad. "He came home just now and he's in his room, sulking. Are you really going to talk to him?"  
  
The young mayor nodded. "I will, I will..." He looked down at the papers on the table, hesitant to leave it unread. He usually finished reading the depositions earlier than they were suppose to be finished reading. Laguna lifted his head back up at his wife, who knew what he was thinking and folded her arms across her chest. "Don't worry, I will!" However, before he had a chance to even walk out the door to his son's room, the telephome suddenly rang. Laguna stared into his wife's eyes. "I WILL talk to him Raine, but this call could be important and..." Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Raine turned and walked out of the room, fuming. Laguna sighed and picked up the phone. "Hello? What? Yeah, yeah, I'll be there. Bye..." He put the phone back on its receiver and grabbed his jacket from the coat rack and walked out of the room. Raine was gone by the time he reached the hallway and the front door, but Laguna didn't have time to realize that. He walked out of the house and drove off to his other office forty minutes away from where he lived.  
  
Raine watched the limousine pull out of the driveway. Angrily, she closed back the curtains and sat on her bed, frowning. No longer able to stand it, she stood up and went into her son's room, knocking on the door as quietly as possible, because she was afraid he might already be asleep. "Squall?" she called quietly.  
  
"Yeah..." Squall replied weakly.  
  
She opened the door and stepped inside meekly, as if afraid to touch any private things in his room that Squall did not like touched." I told your dad to talk to you but..." Raine sat down on a chair across from his bed, which she was still trying to figure out why it was there in the first place.  
  
"But he already left for the office? I know..." He looked up with devastated eyes. "I heard the limousine pull out of the driveway..." He sighed, plopping down on his bed. "You don't need to talk to him for me, mom...I know he wouldn't do it anyway." What were they going to talk about anyway, even if his father had time for him. Laguna Loir BARELY has any idea what's been going on with his son or what he's been doing for the past eight years that Squall's been living in his home.   
  
Raine stood up and sat down on the edge of her son's bed. "Squall, you have to have faith in your father, that he will change. I know it's hard for him to just drop everything, but because of this, he's been supporting our family for many years. You'll have to understand that..."  
  
Squall frowned, looking up at his mother. "I'm suppose to understand that for eight years!?" He slammed a fist down on his bed. "I've been waiting for so long. I even told myself before that he WAS going to talk to me, but he never did. He's broken many promises, ESPECIALLY to Cloud and has never been to any of the most important events other than his stupid political meetings! I'm SUPPOSE to understand that!?"  
  
Calmly, her mother placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Squall, you and your brother have YEARS to relinquish your relationship with your father. Time heals all wounds."  
  
"Yeah, well growing up... DOESN'T!" He picked up his pillow from above his head and buried his face against it. Squall gripped his hands tightly around the soft pillow and sighed. Remembering that his mother was still there, he removed the pillow and looked into her eyes. "I know you mean well, mom, but does dad even know we're hurting this way? He doesn't seem to see it at all."  
  
Raine nodded. "Oh, he knows. He's just too blind to REALLY notice." She placed a small hand over his large ones. "Just have faith in your father. Do this for me, all right?"  
  
Squall took a long deep breath, before finally saying, "Okay..."  
  
"Good! Now, stand up and let me hug you!" She opened her arms for him and sat there waiting for him to take the embrace. Squall hesitated for a while, but finally nodded and wrapped his long arms around his mother's nimble body. They sat like that for a while, until Squall broke it off, laying back down on his bed. Raine stood up and bade him good night, before heading for the door.   
  
"Mom?" Squall called. He looked up and sighed. He thought for a moment. His mother never asked what was wrong with him, not even once and he admired her for that courage. Usually mothers DEMANDED to be informed on what was going on with their children, but Raine didn't do such a thing. He could tell she wanted so bad though, but she never pushed it. "If you really want to know what's going on with me..." He took another long breath then said, "It's about Rinoa...she broke up with me because she didn't think I could handle it well if I knew about her daughter..."  
  
Raine stared at him, then stepped back inside the room and closed the door. "Go on..." she urged him.  
  
  
  
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Monday was a thing in the past now, but after that talk with his mother, Squall felt much better. He already knew that he didn't need to talk with his father about the problem and ask for HIS advice. His father would never understand anyway...even IF he tried to understand how Squall felt. After his usual routine in the mornings, such as taking a shower, brushing his teeth and getting dressed, Squall went downstairs to have some breakfast before he left for school. Cloud was already there, bright and early before his older brother, energetically eating a piece of toast and crunching on a strip of bacon and chatting away about his soccer game coming this week to his mother. She listened attentively, commenting on some of the more important things about the subject, especially about HOW he was getting to the other school across town to play the game there. Squall knew it was HIS turn to answer, but he was interrupted when his father burst in the kitchen, talking on the phone as usual. Squall watched as his father grabbed a piece of toast, holding it in his mouth, while his hands worked by holding a newspaper and the telephone, attached to his ears. Laguna gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek, then paused to give himself time to think about what to respond to the person he was talking to on the phone, which gave Squall a moment to glare at him from the corner of his eyes as he took a seat on the dining table. His mother eyed him, giving him warning looks and reminding him in that way about what they talked about last night. Squall removed his eyes from his father and sighed, grabbing the last piece of toast and taking a bite out of it hastilly. He looked back up again at his father, who now held a very serious look on his face.  
  
"NO! What am I suppose to do with those!? NO! I said I don't want that! I can't handle anything like that! Just give it to one my secretaries! Is that so hard!?" This time, he gave his wife a loving kiss on the lips, grabbed his briefcase, waved at his two sons and left for work.   
  
When they heard the limousine pull out of the driveway and out of sight, Squall finally looked up, folding his arms across his chest. "I never said I would START having faith in him right away," he said to his mother, recalling the warning look she gave him. He stood up and glanced down at his little brother, who was staring up at him curiously. Squall placed a hand on his dark hair. "Come on, squirt, let me drop you off at school." He glanced at his mother. "Bye mom," he said, helping himself out of back door where his car was usually parked. Cloud waved as his mother and followed his brother out the door and into the car port.  
  
After dropping off Cloud, Squall decided to drive a little, since he was still half an hour early for class, and head out to where Rinoa lived. His mother convinced him to talk to her and resolve the problems they were having. He never really agreed to it, but the words his mother spoke really stuck in his head. 'If you don't solve this problem now, it will never be solved. You'll regret it for the rest of your life,' she had said. He hates it when mothers are right. After careful thought on what to say to Rinoa when he saw her, Squall parked the car in front of a small house situated in front of the small neighborhood park and slowly got out, stuffing his hands in his pockets (lately it's been his habit). He was just about to step into the driveway, when someone opened the door and without looking, bumped into him.   
  
"Oh!" the voice spoke.  
  
Squall hung on to the figure and finally had the courage to look up and realize it wasn't Rinoa. He let go quickly, apologizing to the middle aged woman. "I'm sorry. I was looking for Rinoa..."  
  
The woman looked at him suspiciously for a few seconds, until familiarity dawned on her. "OH! You must be Squall! Come in! Come in!" She opened the door wider for Squall to go in. "Rinoa!!!" the woman called. She went to a room at Squall's left, which looked to be the kitchen. The young man followed her inside and, afraid to interrupt some more, stayed near the door and waited for Rinoa to appear. "Rinoa!!!!" the woman called again, her voice echoing the whole building.   
  
"What is it, Patti? Are you looking for me?" Squall looked up at the sound of Rinoa's voice, which came from upstairs. She was just walking down the stairs, carrying a few months old child in her arms, when she noticed him. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Squall..."  
  
Squall nodded, looking around nervously, afraid that if he looked into her eyes, he would hurt her some more. "I uh...I just came by to talk to you..."  
  
The woman named Patti appeared a few seconds later from the dining room. Rinoa walked to the very bottom of the stairs to reach her mother-like friend and handed Diana to her. Squall watched as the baby was being passed. "Is that her?" he asked. "Diana?"  
  
Rinoa looked at her baby. "Yeah," she replied. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Squall regarded the look on Diana's face when she was held in her 'grandmother's' arms. She had the bluest eyes and the darkest hair, which took after her mother. Her smile was like Rinoa's as well, but the other features reminded him of a different man she was with when she was very young. He quickly turned away from the baby and looked at Rinoa. "I want to talk to you about Diana and the father of the baby...But I guess I came in a bad time and...this was a dumb idea...sorry..." He opened the door and quickly ran out, but Rinoa caught up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him from going anywhere.  
  
"Squall, will you stop doing that!?" Rinoa said, getting frustrated by how he was handling things.   
  
Squall stopped, turning around slowly. "Sorry..." he mumbled. He couldn't meet her in the eyes. His thoughts came back to Diana's face...one that reminded him of a man who was 'with' Rinoa. He couldn't get that thought out of his head!   
  
The dark haired girl smiled, placing a hand on his face. "Squall, even if Diana is Ian's baby, that doesn't mean I still love him. I love you..."  
  
"You love me?"   
  
Rinoa nodded. "That's one of the reasons why I had to break up with you. I thought it was for the best that I stay out of your life because it would be more of a burden for you if you had any problems..."  
  
Squall shook his head. "If you told me the truth, it wouldn't be a problem for me at all. I would have helped you..."  
  
"That's very thoughtful but...they called last night..." Sudden tears became visible in her eyes.   
  
"They, who?"  
  
Rinoa turned away, not wanting to meet his face. But Squall would not let her turn away this time. He placed a hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. "The social workers... Even if I didn't sign the custody papers, Ian STILL called the social workers and told them about Diana... They're going to pick her up and take her away from me this weekend! I can't stand it, Squall! They're going to take away my baby! I won't be able to live with myself if she's gone!" Millions of tears fell at a very vigorous speed. She started to shake. So much pain was stabbing at her heart, forcing her to fall on her knees and cry, but Squall caught her just in time her knees met the ground.   
  
He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. "No... that's not going to happen. I won't let them take her away."  
  
"What do you mean?" she looked up with blood shot eyes.  
  
Squall held her tighter in their embrace. "I'll talk to my dad....I AM the mayor's son, aren't I?"  
  
  
  
  
  
***********************************  
  
  
  
He slammed his hand down on the table, startling the occupant sitting on the leather chair. "Squall! Crap, you scared me!" Laguna gasped, pulling the phone an inch from his ear. "What is it?"  
  
Squall took a deep breath and looked at his father with a very genuine expression. "Dad, I want Rinoa to keep Diana."  
  
Laguna pressed his telephone close to his ear. "I'll call you back," he said, then put the phone back on its receiever. He turned the whole chair around to face his son. "What? What on earth are you talking about, Squall?" He began to open the folder in front of him and taking out some documents. He glanced at one paper, then turned the page over.   
  
Squall was getting irritated as he listened to his father leaf through the papers. Angrily and impatiently, he grabbed his father's papers and threw them down the floor. "Will you PLEASE listen to me!? At least LOOK at me when I'm talking to you!"  
  
His father looked up, angered by his actions. "Don't talk to me that way, young man!" He stood up and grabbed the papers from the floor. When he was finished, he glared at his son. "Don't you dare do that again! These are very important documents and-"  
  
"I don't care!!!!" Squall yelled.  
  
At that point, Raine burst through the door to see what the commotion was all about. "What's going on here?"  
  
"Nothing, sweetheart," Laguna replied.  
  
"It's not 'nothing!'" Squall yelled, his head turning towards his mother. "He won't talk to me mom! I have something VERY important to say about Rinoa and he's too DAMN STUPID to listen!"  
  
"Now, Squall, what did I just talked about yesterday..."  
  
"I DON'T CARE! I hate having to wait for him!!! He doesn't get it that Rinoa will lose her baby if I don't do anything about it!!!" Squall spat out, slamming another hand down on the table, forcing more documents to shake. "Rinoa's going to lose her baby, because of some stupid ass idiot doesn't think she's fit to be a mother!!!! Even if you don't care about your sons, the least you could do is help someone who needs more help than we DO!!!!" With an angry thought to choke his father to death, Squall turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.   
  
Laguna sat there, bewildered by Squall's angry words. Everything he said was true. He WAS too stupid to listen, too caught up in his own world to listen to his own sons' problems. Did his son really think he didn't care about him and Cloud? Of course he cared! That's why he's working so hard to make them happy, but he had no idea that they were unhappy because of his hard work. It was as if someone just slapped him across the face with a fly swatter.   
  
"Honey?" Raine called, approaching her husband slowly. She looked at him sympathetically. Even if Squall's approach was a bit too much, she was surprised to see that it really worked.   
  
"Is that what he thinks of me, Raine?" He looked up with sad eyes. "He thinks I don't love my sons?" He leaned against the chair and stared straight ahead, still remembering the look his eldest son had given him. Was that disgust? Disappointment?  
  
"I know you do, but you NEED to show it to them, especially Squall..." Raine replied reassuringly.  
  
"How?" Laguna asked, his voice hollow.  
  
Raine kneeled down and placed her hands on his lap. "Do as he asks you to do...help Rinoa keep her daughter."  
  
Laguna thought for a moment, then reached out to grab the phone. He dialed the number he needed to do and waited until a voice answered. "Hello this is the Mayor..."  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Raine is SUCH a loyal wife and mother! I REALLY like her in this story! She's soooo sweet! But then again in the game was probably REALLY sweet! So? So? What do you guys think!? Review please!! I need to hear from you guys! Aren't you happy that Squall and Rinoa 'might' get back together? Don't get your hopes up yet, because it didn't really say that they're officially back together...^^ 


	16. Simple Truth

Note: I'm really sorry Kikyou for offending you and I didn't mean to do that. But there is no need for name calling, I certainly didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, especially people who are from Columbia or any other countries that I named that are thought to be a 'bad place.' I did not intend to make these countries look bad okay? Other than that, thank you for those who reviewed my chapters! ^^ Hope you enjoy this one too!   
  
Chapter 16 – Simple Truth   
  
The rest of the week has been quite awkward between them. Quistis refused to talk to Seifer, but continued with their tutorial anyway. Seifer, was as usual, very curious about Quistis' bruises that has been happening quite often and had the urge to leave the room, hunt down her father and maybe even murder him. That thought made him ponder for a minute. Why the sudden urge of helping the stubborn blond girl out? He couldn't quite understand this feeling.   
  
"Hey Seifer!" The tall blond turned his head slightly at the voice calling him and watched as Travis, Quistis' little cousin and the one whom his mother used to babysat, approached him. Along with his girlfriend, a shy girl named Eliza Ferris, Travis gave Seifer a boyish smile before saying, "I've been looking for you for days and I finally found you."  
  
Seifer folded his arms across his chest in his usual manner and looked at him, arching a single eyebrow. "What is it?"  
  
The younger boy shrugged. "Well, I just wanted to know so much on why you were asking me where my Uncle lived."  
  
The tall young man stared at him for a couple of seconds, before shrugging and unfolded his arms. "It's nothing that really concerns you, Trav, because I was just asking, that's all."  
  
Travis stared into his eyes to see if he was lying, but Seifer was far too good at lying, than he was at telling the truth. "Oh…okay…"  
  
Without giving Travis a moment to answer more, Seifer turned and left, deciding on heading straight to tutorial so he wouldn't be bothered by Travis for more questions about his odd curiosity about Sean Trepe's place of work. He was, as usual greeted by a cold looking Quistis who waited for him on the usual spot in the middle row of the classroom. She merely glanced at him, looking up from her work and acknowledged his presence until he sat down beside her.   
  
"Did you go through the materials I gave you?" Quistis asked.  
  
Seifer, with his usual snide remarks, leaned back on his chair, folded his arms across his chest and said, "Yes, teacher. Will I be also graded with it too?" He said with a smirk.  
  
The blond girl looked up and frowned. "Are you mocking me?"  
  
"Of course!" Seifer grinned. "I mean, I've been having tutorials from you for over three weeks now and you're STILL not used to this?"  
  
"I've been tutoring you for over three weeks now and you're STILL failing math?" Quistis commented back, looking away in disbelief.  
  
Seifer looked at her, shocked beyond words. "My, Quistis! I have NEVER seen you so… rude before! I am shocked!" He said, sarcastically.  
  
Quistis threw her eraser at him. "Shut up!" She couldn't help but smile. Why was she getting along with this guy all of a sudden? Sure, she still has a crush on him, but this crush of hers will soon blow over and Seifer would never have to know. Of course he DID defend her about wearing her sunglasses in class and about her father. The blond girl stopped and glanced at Seifer, who was once again, staring into space. For this past week, Seifer's been on and off a trance whenever they did the tutorials or even during math classes together. However, as she stared at him, there was something he was hiding behind those green eyes. Right now, as he stared ahead of him, Quistis noticed something 'magical' about him, which reminded her of the Roman God of war, Mars, who was known to be handsome, but very destructive at the same time. That's what she saw in him.   
  
"What's our lesson for today, teach?" Seifer suddenly asked, turning his head to face her.   
  
The blond girl suddenly removed her eyes from him, afraid to look at the young man in the eyes, because she was scared that he might have noticed her staring at him from the corner of his eyes like an idiot. "Um…well…" She completely forgot what she had to do at that point and Quistis could feel heat rising in her face. 'Oh God, am I blushing?' she thought. 'Please don't let him see…please don't let him see!'  
  
"Why are you so red?" the blond young man suddenly asked, one eyebrow lifted up curiously at her.   
  
Quistis shook her head vigorously and fumbled desperately for her notes, while at the same time, finding some kind of excuse on why she was turning red every time she moved. "Um…you see…I uh- OH!" She looked up and smiled. "I'm red because you see, I have allergies…"  
  
"Uh-huh…" Seifer smirked, folding his arms across his chest and continued to stare at her. "Well, okay I would love to figure out what you're allergic to, but I really have to get going, so can you hurry up and get this tutorial over with?"  
  
'Why does he have to stare at her so much like that? And that damn smirk! I wish I could wipe that off with a slap of his face!' she thought, keeping her grin real to prove that she wasn't lying. But, he wasn't stupid. Sooner or later, maybe even now, he would recognize the reason for her blushes. "Well uh…we COULD just go over everything and see how much you've learned so far or you know…we could talk about something else to get things going for us…"  
  
Seifer looked at her. "Like what?"  
  
The blond girl shrugged. "I don't know. I think we should start over so you and I can know each other like… do you have a family? I mean, from what Travis told me your family divorced and-"  
  
SLAM!  
  
Quistis flinched and looked up. Seifer had slammed his right hand on her desk. The blond girl blinked, unsure of what happened, but sat there silently, waiting for Seifer's respond. Seifer wanted to be patient with her, but prolonging this afternoon was getting on his nerves. Just a few days ago, everything was going fine with him, but when he found out something he didn't want to know about, he's been feeling rather irritated. He knew what it was, but he was rather sick and tired of thinking about it. And now THIS! He looked up, his eyes staring back into large, blue orbs that stared right back at him. Seifer looked away, stood up and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. "Look, can we just postpone this day and maybe I'll see you after school tomorrow?"   
  
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean…" Quistis was tired of his attitude. What just happened? They were getting along just fine!   
  
"You're so annoying! Get off my back! You have no right to ask me questions about my family!" Without even giving Quistis a chance to answer, Seifer turned and stomped off.   
  
But Quistis, once again, was never done with him. She INSISTED to herself that she would get along with him, so she could easily teach him math without having to postpone anymore tutorials. She ran after him and when she was close enough, grabbed his arm, but Seifer, quickly turned and grabbed her arm. He gripped his hand tightly around her wrist and lifted up his other hand, as if ready to strike her.   
  
"Go ahead! Hit me! I guess that's the only thing I'm good for!" Quistis yelled her hands clenched.   
  
Seifer stopped his eyes, suddenly realizing what he was going to do and who he was doing it to. The blond young man dropped his hand and frowned. He didn't know what to say. A few days ago, he had seen the bruises on her eyes; he had defended her from Brandy's pathetic insults and actually went to where this girl's father works and beat the crap out of him. And the worst part of it was that he enjoyed it. He enjoyed defending for her but…why? He barely knew the girl and they barely talked, except maybe when they have something to argue about. "I…I'm sorry…" He spoke softly. He was ashamed now. Ashamed to really call what he did for her, 'defense,' because the very same thing he was taking vengeance for, had been placed in his own hands.   
  
Quistis stood there, unmoved by his apologies. She knew he didn't mean it. He was probably being sarcastic, but as she looked into eyes, she saw something genuine as he spoke those words. She didn't know what to make of it. Should she believe what he said or…? "Um…that's okay…" She turned away. "I guess tomorrow?"  
  
He felt awkward. Seifer looked away as well. "Sure…"   
  
Without anymore words to exchange to each other both blondes turned and walked off into their own destinations.   
  
'What just happened there?' They both asked themselves.  
  
  
  
  
  
**********************  
  
That night, he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, unable to close his eyes and wake up for the next day. He was also afraid of closing his eyes, for his mind would reveal something he didn't want to see. "Dammit!" he hissed. Seifer sat up and glanced at the clock sitting on his bedside table. It was close to eleven now and his mother wasn't home yet. He was starting to get worried, even though she was old enough to take care of herself, but lately, he hasn't been feeling like that towards her. It felt like he was the father, worrying about his daughter going out with some stranger pass her curfew. It was useless for him to sleep now. Too many things were in his mind, so Seifer decided to go downstairs and maybe get something to eat or watch a little television that would make him fall asleep.   
  
As he neared the very bottom of the steps, he heard the front door click open. Seifer watched the door as he heard the keys being shoved inside the lock. He listened intently, until he could see the doorknob turning and the door opening to reveal a familiar figure. He could recognize his mother's clothes, which made her look like a hooker, but he didn't recognize the figure following behind her. She didn't seem to notice him standing there, because there were no lights shining around the house, only darkness. Seifer just stood there in the darkness, watching his mother and her partner patiently.   
  
"Oh wait, let me just turn on the lights," Lynette spoke, reaching for the living room lamp. The lights suddenly flickered around the room, adding a little bit of light at the bottom of the stairs where Seifer stood, which startled Lynette with a gasp. "Seifer! God, you scared me!"   
  
Seifer looked behind at Lynette's companion, who was nodding his head at him curtly. Instead of nodding back, the blond young man chose to examine him from where he stood. This man seemed different than the rest. He looked blond as well, tall, handsome and had green eyes like him and one who could be mistaken to be his real father, but Seifer hated thinking about that.   
  
"Seifer, I'd like you to meet, Martine," Lynette spoke, after a few moments of silence.   
  
The blond looked at his mother. "Who is he? Another one of you dates?" he asked with utter disgust. He was starting to get annoyed already, just by hearing his mother introducing to him one her many men she's dated.   
  
Lynette frowned. "No, Seifer…" From her tone of voice, Seifer could tell his mother was getting irritated by his attitude. "He and I used to go to college together. We're college buddies, right Martine?" She glanced at him and smiled.  
  
Martine laughed, nodding his head. "Yeah and I was so surprised how much your mother hasn't changed since she was nineteen! She's still as beautiful as ever!" He looked at her and smiled.  
  
Seifer rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "College friends my ass…" he mumbled.  
  
"What's that?" Martine asked.  
  
The blond young man shook his head. "Nothing…"  
  
"Anyway," Lynette interrupted, clearing her throat to remove the tension between Martine and Seifer. "Would you like something to drink, Martine?"  
  
The older blond nodded, grinning. "Sure thing, Lyn!"  
  
"Lyn?" Seifer asked, lifting an eyebrow curiously.   
  
Martine shrugged. "Well, that's what I used to call her in college! Isn't that right, Lyn?"  
  
Lynette laughed from the kitchen, whom Seifer hadn't realized was already there, looking for a drink for her college friend. "Of course! Mart…"  
  
Martine walked to the kitchen and Seifer could hear his large laugh as it echoed around the kitchen. "Very funny! Although, I don't remember you calling me that!"  
  
Seifer decided to join them too, to make sure nothing drastic would happen between them. He was afraid that Martine COULD have changed from a guy whom his mother met in college into some kind of murderer or rapist. He didn't want to take the risk. However, he let them talk, no matter how pathetic their conversation was. He really didn't like this guy at all, even though he seemed nice around him. Any guy his mother dated irritated him, because they didn't treat her right. Seifer had no reason to hate Martine. Indeed, he was a nice guy, but he found himself hating him. Maybe it was the fact hat he could make his mother happy and she would end up marrying him and having another heart break. He didn't want that to happen to his mother the second time and suffer another divorce.  
  
Their conversations were mostly about their college years together, while Seifer just sat and listened irritably. They decided to have a cup of coffee instead. From what Seifer has listened so far, Lynette and Martine apparently bumped into each other at the club just tonight while Lynette was on her date. They immediately recognized each other and decided to hang out for the rest of the evening. Seifer also learned HOW they met in college. It was before she met Bryan. Martine was in her psychology class and because they had the same interests, they suddenly grew close. Part of what happened between them, if they ever became lovers after that, was never brought up. They usually talked about what they did during those years, like hanging out with a bunch of their other friends and joining the NYU talent night marathon. Together, they were also part of a fraternity house, but because of some incident, they stopped going.   
  
After an hour or two, Martine decided it was time for him to leave. "I have to work early tomorrow," the blond man explained, standing up.   
  
"I'll walk you out the door," Lynette spoke, standing up as well.  
  
"It was nice meeting you, Seifer," Martine said, nodding his head.  
  
The blond young man nodded back, not sure of how to respond back. He sat there and watched him leave. No matter how much he hated to admit it, Seifer found himself liking the guy. Maybe he COULD be the one to make his mother happy once and for all. But both of them just said they were just friends… were they telling the truth?   
  
After a couple of minutes, he could hear the front door closing and his mother's footsteps coming back to the kitchen. "So, you like him?"  
  
Seifer looked up and nodded awkwardly. "Yeah, he's all right," he replied, shrugging. "He seems nice enough and I think he'll make you happy."  
  
"Make me happy?" Lynette stared at him curiously.   
  
"Yeah…" He was starting to feel irritated already. Seifer scratched the back of his head nervously. "Um…you know… you two seem to like each other, so I think it's great that you guys are dating now, after being friends for so long."  
  
Lynette suddenly laughed. "Seifer, we really are JUST friends and nothing more. He's getting engaged to a nice woman and their wedding is coming next year and I'm invited!"  
  
Seifer blushed, feeling rather embarrassed. "Oh…"  
  
His mother laughed again. "You know, I've never seen you embarrassed like that before! You must really like him!"  
  
"Well, we've never talked like this before…" Seifer suddenly said.  
  
Lynette stopped. "You know what? You're right…" She smiled at him.  
  
For the first time in two years after the divorce, he smiled back at her. Seifer stood up. "Well, I uh…I better get to bed. I'm tired and I have to wake up tomorrow for school anyway."  
  
Lynette nodded. "All right, good night!"  
  
Seifer nodded. "Good night…"  
  
Lynette watched him walk up the stairs and as he disappeared into his room, she stood up and looked out the door towards Martine's car which hadn't left yet. Sighing, she watched him turn on his engine and leave the front of the house for good. "I wish I could tell you the whole truth Seifer…" Lynette whispered to herself.  
  
GoodGurl: Woah! Woah! What's Lynette talking about the end? Who really IS Martine? I think it could be obvious, right? I hope so! Well, if you don't get it, then I guess you won't know until the end! ;) 


	17. Just come to me

Author's note: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed last chapter! I think this is the right time to say that I am getting really close to the ending and I am excited because the next story I'm going to write will be, of course, futuristic! ^^ So after this story, don't forget to check back on the new installation of the 'M' series! Anyways, we last left off with Selphie being suspended because she was caught holding a marijuana joint? She and Zell also had another argument and Zell learns that she defended him so he could play football, but then Zell goes to the Principal and tells the whole truth! Now BOTH of them are suspended! But Selphie still doesn't know that yet…so, what's next for the childhood friends? You'll find out on this chapter! ;)  
  
  
  
Chapter 17 – Just come to me  
  
"I'm very disappointed in you, Selphie. I thought I saw potential in you, but I guess I was wrong." She winced at the words, unable to move from the spot where she stood. It felt like someone just stabbed her heart and threw it into the lake where it drowns from the pain and the sorrow she was feeling. Selphie glanced over her shoulder at her favorite Japanese teacher and nodded, knowing full well that she has finally lost his trust and faith on her. With that thought in mind, she opened the door and left the room quietly. That was the only thing she remembered about her conversation with Mr. Mizumoto before she left the classroom. It was short and simple, yet had a strong impact on her that stuck to her throughout the afternoon. When she came home that night, her mother hugged her, but her father didn't seem happy. He was very reluctant to look at her. That form of action told her that the school had told them about the whole 'drug problem' and was also informed of her suspension from school for four weeks.   
  
Selphie quickly went into her room and threw herself on the bed, holding back the tears that beckoned to come out. The only thing that she found comfort in her room was her 'Hello Kitty' plushy doll which she took in her arms and choked to get all her frustrations out. She imagined the plushy doll to be Zell, in which she squeezed harder, wishing it was really him she was choking. She laid back on her bed and stared ahead of her, towards her white closet, where her clothes were neatly tucked in for school uses. Her closet was also her treasury room, where she stored all the wonderful treasures that Zell found and gave to her. However, that was at least ten years ago and they were seven years old. Every time her best friend would go to vacation, he would bring something back to her, but it wasn't in a form of a souvenir. It was usually something that could be picked up from the ground of the California beaches or the Iceland roads. Nevertheless, Selphie liked the treasures, probably because she has loved Zell all her life and has kept them ever since. The last treasure he gave her was a perfectly rounded, granite rock he picked up from Borneo when he and his family went there in the summer when he was ten. She never expected these gifts, but ever since he stopped bringing something for her, she couldn't help but wonder what changed. That's when she realized that Zell was simply in pain after his parents' death. Selphie overlooked that pain and was always too busy with her studies to realize what REAL pain was all about for Zell. If she had paid attention, she would have stopped Zell from doing these things, therefore, wouldn't have been in trouble. But it was too late. She was facing dire consequences now and she was not only losing her Japan trip for her punishment, or her academic studies, Selphie was also losing her best friend from it all. She may never know when she will see him again, or when she will be able to forgive him after this.  
  
A knock on the door interrupted her from her thoughts. Quickly, Selphie wiped her tears away and pretended she was sleeping, her back facing the door. "Um…mom, I don't feel like eating dinner right now, I need to sleep…"  
  
"Hey, Selph…." A familiar voice spoke.  
  
Selphie's eyes widened. She knew perfectly well it was Zell. She could hear his heavy footsteps moving behind her. Slowly, the young girl turned around to look at him. He was just standing awkwardly, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Zell…" Selphie sat up to look at him in excitement. For some reason, she was suddenly happy to see him. Maybe it was the fact that they haven't talked properly in a long time and this was their chance to do so, but as soon as she remembered the reason why, she laid back on her bed, her face away from the door…away from him. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I came here to tell you that-" He took a step forward towards the bed, but Selphie jerked her head around to look at him, forcing him to stop moving and his lips from finishing his sentence. He stared back at her and he could see the hatred in her eyes. It was just pure hatred, an expression he has never seen on her face for the longest time. Adding to that hatred, there were tears… a hint at least that she still didn't hate him THAT much.   
  
"I don't care what you say! Just…just leave me alone."   
  
"Selphie, please hear me out…"  
  
"Why should I Zell?" she mumbled, getting up from her bed and walking over to the window. She sat on the window sill and looked out towards the sky. Selphie could see Zell's reflection from the window. He was reluctantly trying to move towards her, but every time he took a step, he would stop and look up at her, as if afraid that he was stepping into her boundaries. "Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me? My studies, my friends…my trip to Japan….ruined because of what you did…"  
  
Zell looked at her in disbelief. She's blaming him for what he DIDN'T really do? He suddenly felt angry at her for saying that. He closed the door behind him so her parents couldn't hear. "I didn't ask you to do that for me…I didn't even know that you knew about it!"  
  
Selphie turned her head to look at him. "Well it would have been much easier to understand if you told me about it…I thought we were best friends, Zell?" Tears were beginning to form now, but she bitterly choked them back, not wanting for her 'best friend' to see. She didn't want him near her right now.   
  
"Why did you do it, Selphie? I didn't ask for it. You didn't have to do it…"  
  
"Because…you were my best friend…" Selphie looked away. "That's what best friends do, isn't it? They're supposed to help each other out when they're in need, even trusting them with their secrets."  
  
"Were?" Zell asked. Where was she going with this? What is she saying?  
  
Selphie nodded. "Zell, I don't know if I can trust you anymore…I'm sorry…I don't think we should see each other…" Tears were once again forming in her eyes. She couldn't take it anymore, so she let the tears flow down her cheeks. She looked away. "And to think that I…" she stopped herself from saying anything further.  
  
The blond was shocked beyond belief. She can't be serious…can she? Zell turned to face the closed door. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her. "You don't think I'd do the same thing? Selphie…" He took a long deep breath and closed his eyes before saying, "I went to the office and told them the truth…"   
  
Stunned, Selphie looked back at him. "What…?" she asked in a very small voice.  
  
"I told them that it was really mine. You can go back to school now. I can take my punishment in peace, even if you're not there anymore to see me…" Zell opened the door, stopped by the doorway and once again glance back at Selphie. "I wanted to tell you the truth from the very beginning Selphie. And tonight was my chance to tell you…" He hesitated for a moment, then said, "It was my chance to tell you that I…I love you, Selphie Tilmitt. I don't want you to think that as a friendship thing, but…I have always loved you as more than that." With that said, Zell turned and left.  
  
Selphie stood there, aghast. She felt her whole body sliding down the floor, her legs feeling shaky and tired from the drama unfolded before her. Why was this happening to her? Why must life for her be always this complicated? Was she the only one with a life that seemed to abandon her almost every day? She couldn't get Zell's statement out of her head. Did she just hear what she thought she heard? Had Zell really confessed his true feelings for her? Or was it just a dream that she can never wake up from? If it was so, then why was she blushing? Why was her heart pounding? Subconsciously, she moved towards the bed and sat down on the soft mattress. Selphie sat there for a few moments, as if expecting something sudden to burst through her door and announce better news than she had heard of since yesterday. She was frozen now. Numb from the legs, up and unaware that the doorbell had rung.  
  
"Selphie! Could you get the door for me, please?" her mom yelled, from what seemed like the kitchen. "I'm quite busy at the moment."  
  
As if some kind of powerful force pulled her, Selphie stood up, walked out of her room and strolled down the stairs to answer the front door. She took a quick, curious glance towards her mother, wondering what she was doing by announcing herself too 'busy' to answer the door. Her mother was indeed, cooking something and it was fogging up the whole house. Her father, Selphie guessed, was probably watching television and usually, he didn't like being bothered from his form of relaxation (which was lying on their old reclining chair situated at the front of the television). Sighing quietly, she stood in front of the door and stared at it for a moment, before opening it, her hands still shaking from the shocking revelation that came out of her best friend's mouth. When the door swung open, Selphie was struck with a full force from the chilly wind outside and before she regained her balance, long, strong arms began to wrap around her, startling her from head to toe.   
  
"KIDDO!" the voice spoke, startling Selphie even more. She was pulled back again, giving her a chance to look at the 'stranger' who was hugging her so suddenly. She was surprised that the person hugging her was her older brother, Garrett, who wasn't supposed to be home until next week.  
  
"Ga-Garrett?" actually, she was relieved it was her brother, instead of an odd stranger hugging her from out of nowhere. When realization hit her, Selphie wrapped her arms around her older brother and smiled, hiding the fact that she was still broken inside. After a couple more minutes, she pulled back this time to give herself and her brother some room to breathe. "You're here! I thought you weren't coming until next week?"  
  
Garrett shrugged. "Well, they let me off early. I think they were being generous today!" He laughed whole-heartedly and stepped inside, dragging his one large suitcase behind him. Selphie closed the door and watched as her older brother reminisced the last few years he was living in their house. Before he was convicted of legal drug consumption, Garrett actually went to college, took up great courses in science and math (Garrett was smart and Selphie was jealous). However, when their parents found out he was sniffing up cocaine and marijuana in the dorm room he's been staying in for a whole semester, they immediately took him home, where he was greeted by police officers. For another six months, he was grounded away from his real home. He left a teary-eyed mother, a VERY angry father and a disappointed sister. For the first time in a year, Garrett has finally come home again. "Awwww MOM!"   
  
Selphie looked up. She was too intent in her thoughts that she hadn't realized her mother had appeared from the kitchen and into Garrett's loving arms. "Mom, I missed your cooking!" she heard Garrett say, in which he also added (so he wouldn't get a beating from his mother), "I missed you too!" He proceeded on giving her another hug.  
  
"Aimee? Selphie? Who is it?" Seconds later, their father appeared from the living room. He paused when he saw who it was and frowned. "What are you doing here early?" Selphie could see the disappointment in their father's eyes. It seems that he hasn't forgiven his son, even if he had already served his time in jail.   
  
Garrett gave a firm, serious look towards his father and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Nice to see you too, dad…"  
  
Suddenly, there was definite silence and after a while, Kate Tilmitt was the first person to break it. She wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders and dragged him to the kitchen, trying to keep Garrett as far away as possible from his father. With her other arm, she hooked it with her daughter and pulled both of them to the kitchen, followed by Selphie and Garrett's reluctant father. "You must be hungry, Garrett! I cooked dinner and it's enough for all of us!" She swiftly glanced at her husband firmly, warning him not to do anything rash.  
  
When they were all seated down, Selphie felt even more awkward, sitting in between her father and brother on the rectangular table. They were both sitting on the opposite ends of the table, trying their very best not to make eye contact with the other. Selphie frowned, looking at both of them, while her mother sat, eating her dinner quietly.   
  
Suddenly, unable to take the silence any longer, Selphie angrily slammed a hand down on the table and looked around at everyone. "Will you two please stop this!? This whole thing is stupid! I expected better from the both of you! Garrett, you're twenty one years old (I realized that he was suppose to be twenty one…sorry for the misunderstanding!), for goodness sakes! Dad, you're….older…and you're both adults! So handle this LIKE adults!" She was frustrated, just irritated by the behavior being shown at the table and stood up. "You're acting like WOMEN!" With that said, Selphie turned and stormed out of the kitchen and into her room. Everything was getting out of hand. She could no longer hold the frustrations inside. Her getting suspended for something she didn't do, Zell telling the Principal the truth, resulting in him getting suspended, him telling her he loved her, Garrett coming home earlier than expected, thus adding tension between him and their father and…and….Large beads of tears streamed down her face. She firmly wiped her tears with her arms and closed the door behind her. Selphie realized now, out of everyone else in her house, she needed Zell a lot more. He was always there when she needed comfort. He was always there to make her laugh by doing silly things that people would know Zell would never do, which he would only do in front of her. Selphie shook her thoughts of Zell away from her mind and walked over to her window. It had started to rain…rather heavily at that, because she could hear the 'pitter patter' of water on the roof. She wanted nothing better than to run outside, without a care in the world, towards Zell's house. She closed her eyes and remembered the time he told her that he was always going to be there if she needed to talk to him about something.   
  
"Selphie…if you ever need to talk…just come to me…okay?" he spoke, as if he was really standing there. Selphie looked back out the window and to the house right next door to theirs.   
  
"Just come to me…" she mumbled.  
  
  
  
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He wanted to stay. Even if he had to beg, he would do it. Did she really mean what she said? Was he really untrustworthy to be her best friend now? Has he really changed that much for her?   
  
"Zell?" Aunt Vanessa poked her head through the door and noticed him sitting still on the bed, staring at the closed door of the closet. She stepped inside and approached him quietly. Not wanting to startle him, she made her presence known by closing the door as loud and as quietly as she could.   
  
And it worked. Zell had looked up. "Oh…what is it, Aunt Vanessa?"  
  
The middle aged woman opened the door again and smiled. "It's dinner time."  
  
Zell nodded. "Thanks a lot, Auntie."   
  
Vanessa nodded and went ahead to the kitchen. Zell followed a few seconds later and joined his aunt and uncle and his cousin, Isabelle in the dining room. They were just about to sit down on their usual spots on the table, when the doorbell suddenly rang. Zell volunteered to get it, so he stood up and walked over to the door, his stomach suddenly growling with hunger. He opened the door slowly and was stunned at the sight he was seeing. Selphie stood on his door steps, wet from head to toe, her hair disheveled from the rain, her cheeks reddening and her breathing… shallow, as if she just ran a hundred mile race. He couldn't tell whether her face was covered with her tears or the rain.   
  
"Selphie??? What-?" He was interrupted when Selphie suddenly wrapped her arms around him, collapsing in his arms and was unable to say anything for a while, until Zell spoke again. "Selphie… What are you doing here?" He wished her to be here, but not in the condition she was in now.   
  
Selphie sniffed and finally took the courage to look into his eyes. "I didn't mean what I said… I was too angry… too upset… Zell… I miss you."  
  
Surprised at this, Zell just stared at her stupidly.  
  
The brunette looked away. "I know I don't deserve to be forgiven after what I said, but… I need to talk to someone. I WANT to talk to you…" She paused, took a deep breath and clenched her fists at her sides. "I wish I could take back what I said and change the conversation we had earlier into something better, but it's impossible… I…" She felt a hand under her chin. Selphie lifted her head up and stared into Zell's emerald green eyes.   
  
"You don't have to, Selphie…" Without resisting, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as tightly as he could. This time…he wasn't letting go. "You don't have to…" he whispered.  
  
Selphie closed her eyes. So this is what it felt like to be in love. His embrace was warm, comforting and…loving. "Zell…I love you too…" she whispered back.  
  
Zell didn't react. He wasn't shocked. He wasn't scared by her words. He was just…relieved that she felt the same way. He didn't care that he was getting wet from the harsh rain blowing towards them because of the wind, or the fact that Selphie was wet.   
  
"SELPHIE!" Both of them were startled by the sound of Aunt Vanessa's voice. "MY GOD! What on earth-!?" Suddenly, they were pulled apart. Selphie was being dragged by Zell's Aunt into the downstairs bathroom, while Zell stood there, slowly closing the door behind him and listening to his Aunt's motherly words.   
  
After a few minutes, Selphie came out of the bathroom, warm, dry and newly clothes with Vanessa's old clothes that she used to wear when she was young. For some reason, Zell's Aunt kept all her old clothes and keeps them safely stored in the cupboard underneath the stairs. 'It's a little habit of hers,' his Uncle told him once when he asked about it. "What were you doing outside in the rain, anyway, Selphie?" He could hear his Aunt's voice as they strolled back to the kitchen where Zell was wearily waiting for Selphie to come back.   
  
Selphie blushed and laughed. "Oh, I forgot to tell Zell something important so I thought it couldn't wait until tomorrow."  
  
"Now, what could be so important that you would risk your health for?" Vanessa asked, looking at Selphie.  
  
Both of the teenagers blushed. Isabelle laughed, pointing at the red marks on her cousin's and Selphie's face.   
  
"Nessa, I don't think it's our business what these kids do," Uncle Charlie retorted, looking down at his checkbook. Looking at the checkbook was Zell's Uncle's habit, another eccentric thing his adopted parents do when they weren't working.   
  
Zell glanced at his Uncle and met eye to eye with him, as if telling him 'thank you' for covering for them. He glanced at Selphie and smiled. Selphie smiled back, looking back down at her food. He could tell she was trying to hide the blush that was starting to creep on her cheeks. Zell loved that about her. Why hadn't he realized it before? Why hadn't he realized it sooner that he dearly loved his best friend?   
  
Selphie suddenly stood up. "I think I should call my parents. They must be wondering where I went…" She left the kitchen and headed for the living room where the phone was.   
  
"Isabelle!" Zell looked down. Vanessa was starting to wipe something her daughter spilled on the floor. The blond glanced up at his Uncle, who was now too busy to look at him, or the mess his daughter was making, so Zell took this opportunity to leave the dining room quietly and head for the living room where Selphie was.   
  
When he got there, Selphie had already hung up the phone, telling him that she was finished with the phone call. She smiled when she saw him there. "So, what did they say?" he asked suddenly for no reason.  
  
Selphie smiled, shrugging. "They weren't mad. I could hear my dad yelling in the background though…"  
  
Zell's eyes widened. "He was mad?"  
  
She laughed. "No, he was just worried about me. My dad never gets mad that easily towards me except…" It looked as though she was going to say something, but decided to shrug it off with another laugh. "I guess we better get back to the kitchen!" She walked pass him, but Zell grabbed her arm gently and slowly turned her around to face him.   
  
"What does this mean?" Zell stared into her green eyes.  
  
"What does what mean?" Selphie asked, looking at him confusingly.  
  
He took a deep breath. "Us…"  
  
Selphie looked away. "I…I don't know…" She looked back at him again, this time, a real genuine smile. "Maybe a date can confirm that?"  
  
Zell smiled, nodding his head. "A date, huh? Is that what you want?"  
  
"Well…yeah, I think so. It's important isn't it?" She grabbed his hand. "Come on, we better get back or else Vanessa and Charlie will be suspicious about what we're up to!" She pulled him back towards the kitchen, but they were suddenly interrupted when the phone rang around the house.   
  
They stopped in their tracks and in unison, turned to look at the phone. Selphie let go of Zell's hand, letting him answer the phone. After one more ring, Zell picked up the phone and pressed it against his ear. "Hello?" Selphie watched as he listened to what the other person was saying on the other line. There was definite worry on his face. "Okay, calm down…" He looked up; pass Selphie at the kitchen, where his Aunt and Uncle were eating. Selphie knew that Zell didn't want his Aunt and Uncle to know who was on the phone. "Yeah… I'll be there." He put the phone down and looked at her.   
  
"Who was that?"  
  
Zell didn't answer, instead, he walked passed her and headed for the kitchen. "Aunt Vanessa? Uncle Charlie? I have to go somewhere quickly, okay?"  
  
Vanessa looked up from cleaning the mess on the floor. "Where are you going?"  
  
Zell didn't know how to answer, until Selphie stepped beside him. "Zell and I are going to watch movies, is that all right?" She grabbed his arm and began dragging him, until Uncle Charlie's voice boomed, stopping them on their tracks.   
  
"Zell, you do remember that you're grounded?"   
  
The blond nodded. He looked over his shoulder at his Uncle. "Can I go this once, Uncle? Someone needs my help?"  
  
"Help? Who needs help? Is there an emergency?"  
  
"No, Aunt Vanessa…" He really had to go. No longer able to hold the frustration, he turned and began walking away, despite his Aunt's disapproval. Zell and Selphie walked out of the house together and headed for Zell's car.  
  
"Vanessa…" Charlie called to his wife. "Just let him go this once."  
  
"Charlie! He's supposed to be grounded!" Vanessa said, firmly, planting both her fists on her hips.   
  
Charlie looked up and nodded. "Yeah he is… but no matter what you say to them, they will always rebel against you."  
  
Vanessa sighed and sat back down on her chair. "I guess you're right… But aren't we a bit too soft on the boy? I mean, he DID do something bad, which got him into school suspension!"  
  
Her husband shrugged. "He probably had his reasons of doing it."  
  
"That's just it, Charles! I WANT to know the reason and because of not telling me, THIS is what happens to him! A smoker! I just thought…did I raise him wrongly for him to do this?"  
  
Charlie put down his check book and wrapped an arm around his wife. "No, you didn't raise him wrongly. You raised him into a good young man! Your sister would have been VERY proud to know that his little sister was taking good care of his son!"  
  
  
  
  
  
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In a flash of lightning, they were there. Kent was there, being held at gunpoint by a bunch of 'suit wearing mafia wanna-bes, threatening him about something. Selphie had no idea what was going on, but she was told by Zell to stay in the car, while he himself gets out of the car to approach the men. It was dark, too dark in the alleyway for Selphie to see exactly HOW many men were there. She guessed there were about six of them altogether, but she could be wrong. But why was she bothering counting how many of them there were? She should be worried about Zell approaching them, while holding guns, while Zell had none.   
  
"Who are YOU!?" the man holding the gun yelled at Zell as he came nearer.  
  
Zell stopped just enough to see Kent's broken face. He stared at the man with the gun straight in the eyes. "I'm his boss," he replied, taking a glance at his friend on the ground. "If you want to get your money, you might as well put the gun down."  
  
The man with the gun had now moved his aim towards Zell's head, yet Zell did not flinch, nor make any sound of fear. "And if I don't put the gun down?" He laughed and glanced at the man on Zell's right. "Did you hear that, Bane? He's threatening us!"  
  
Bane let out a hoarse laugh. "I can't believe that, Romeo!"  
  
"Then you won't get the money you're looking for. Just give him back to me and I promise you, I will have your money."  
  
"I don't think so BOSS!" the man on Zell's right said, emphasizing the last word loudly. "With how you look, I don't think you have the balls to earn fifteen hundred dollars! Because your FRIEND here…" He grabbed Kent's shirt collar and pulled him so that he was face to face with him. "Was supposed to give us the fifteen hundred and he's a few days overdue!"  
  
Zell glanced at Kent unbelievably. "WHAT!? You owe these guys fifteen hundred dollars!?"  
  
Kent shrugged, smiling under his bruises. "Hey, I have to earn a living, don't I?" He received another punch in the face, adding more pain.   
  
Zell took a step forward, but the man with the gun, Romeo, turned his gun once again towards the blond. However, something loud shot in the air. Startled, Romeo looked around, wondering where the gun had hit. "DAMMIT, YOU IDIOT!" He felt the gun being grabbed from his hand. Romeo glanced at his friend, Bane, staring at him confusingly. "What?"  
  
"ZELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"   
  
Bane pointed in front of them. Romeo followed his finger, his eyes widening when he noticed the blond young man lying on the ground, blood soaking his clothes and dripping all over the ground. He noticed a young woman running to his side, but Bane just stood there, shocked beyond belief at what he had done. He never intended to shoot him. Not really. He just wanted to scare the boy.   
  
With tears soaking her face, Selphie lifted Zell halfway in her arms and looked into his pale face. He was shot close to the heart, just above the right of his chest. Blood was still pouring from the wound and Selphie was trying to close it by putting an arm over it. "Zell! Zell, can you hear me!?" Selphie pleaded, rocking him back and forth gently. "Just hang on, okay? Please hang on!" Zell's eyes were closing now, but Selphie wouldn't let him. "Don't you dare die on me! We still have a date to go to! Your parents wouldn't want you to give up this easily!"  
  
Zell opened his eyes again. "Maybe…maybe I'll see my parents….finally…" he spoke quietly.  
  
"Don't say that! You can't leave me! Who am I supposed to run to when I need someone to talk to? You said you'd be there for me! Zell…please don't give up!" She buried her face in his chest and wept.   
  
The blond looked as though he was dreaming. Was he hallucinating when he was now seeing a familiar face smiling down on him? "Mom?" A second face appeared beside his mother. "Dad?" He looked at himself. He was standing? Where was he? Everything was bright.  
  
His mother, an angelic-faced blond floated towards him slowly. "Zell…" she spoke gently.  
  
"Mom…" There were tears flowing down Zell's pale face. He reached out his arms towards her, but she would keep floating away from him. I'm home… "Mom? Where are you going?"  
  
She smiled. "Zell, you still have long ways to go in your life. It's not your time yet. Don't give up, okay?"  
  
Zell frowned, still reaching out his arms towards her, even though she was too far away. "Mom, please take me with you! I want to see you! I miss you!"  
  
She shook her head and smiled. "Zell, I will never forgive you if you abandon Selphie…remember that…" Then, she disappeared into the bright light.   
  
Before he had a chance to figure out where he was, Zell was being pulled back. Back? Where? Where was he going? What was happening?   
  
He could hear voices now.  
  
A beeping sound.  
  
Something was beeping around him. It was just too familiar. He's heard it before. In the hospital…where his parents were being 'rescued.'   
  
"We're losing him!" a voice yelled from nowhere.  
  
"Hello?" he called.  
  
There was another beeping sound.  
  
This time…longer…  
  
"AGAIN!" the second voice was louder and firmer.  
  
He could hear a loud 'thump!' Zell could feel his heart pounding. He placed a hand on his heart where he was supposedly shot, but it was absent. Where was it? Wasn't he shot? Is he dead?   
  
"Sir, we lost him…" a woman's voice croaked gently.  
  
'Zell, I will never forgive you if you abandon Selphie…' he could hear his mother say over and over again. She was right. It wasn't his time yet. He couldn't leave Selphie behind. "SELPHIE!!!!" he yelled as loud as he could.  
  
Beep.  
  
Beep.  
  
Beep.  
  
"We got a pulse!" the first voice said.  
  
Zell could feel his heart pounding louder than ever before.   
  
Then, he was pulled back again, but this time…  
  
The blond opened his eyes slowly. He could hear murmurs all around him. One of them, he recognized as… "Selphie…"he croaked.  
  
The recognizable one approached him slowly. "Zell?" He couldn't tell whether she was crying or not, but he was glad she could touch and feel him again. Selphie smiled and collapsed suddenly that he was startled. "ZELL!"   
  
She cried.  
  
Despite her weight, however, Zell held her tighter in his arms.   
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Aaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww a happy ending!!!!!!! ^^ you like? Of course you do! You have to! LOL! Well, stay tuned for the next chapter! ;) 


	18. Doing Something Right

Author's Note: Hey guys! Watch out for the preview for Millenium Day Fantasy 8 on later chapters! Anyway, we last left off with Rinoa and Squall now on better terms than before. Squall storms into his father's office, planning on asking him to help Rinoa keep her baby, but because Laguna wouldn't listen, Squall gets easily frustrated and walks out angrily. Laguna, realizing what Squall thinks of him, decides to call someone on the matter of Rinoa. Has he really called to help Rinoa keep her baby? Or was it just another phone call from his office? Read on this chapter and find out! ^^  
  
  
  
Chapter 18 – Doing Something Right   
  
The clouds were now getting darker, the noise outside fading in the distance. There was nothing but the rain that was making all the noise. She sat down, afraid that when she gets home, there could be a possibility that Diana could be taken away from her. She's been having nightmares about it since Ian came to the store the second time, asking her to sign the damn custody sheet. The second time, Rinoa, of course rejected it, unwilling to give up her daughter that easily. Ever since those nightmares kept coming back to haunt her, Rinoa was always in a hurry to get home, hoping against all hopes that Diana was still there and to her relief, she would be there.   
  
"All right, Heartilly, I think that's enough for the night. You can go home now," Alexander Fanning spoke, poking his head through the very back room. Rinoa looked up and nodded, stacking the last box on top of the boxes already on the shelves.  
  
"Thanks Mr. Fanning." She stood up and went to the back room where her jacket and her bag was and got ready. For some reason, something was scratching at the back of Rinoa's heart that something was going to happen this afternoon. Something big… and Rinoa decided to leave in a hurry to find out what it was.   
  
And just as she feared, when she arrived, Rinoa noticed a parked car right in front of Patti's house. She felt her hands start to shake, but she walked on ahead, hoping it was someone else, not someone whom she thought could end the rest of her life as a mother. "Patti? Are you home? Whose car is that at the front…" She paused as soon as she came near the living room. A woman, dressed in a black blazer and skirt, looked up from what appeared to be her clipboard resting on her lap. Patti was sitting on the couch, facing her and as soon as she walked in, the middle aged woman looked up in a sad looking face. The woman in the blazer stood up and held out a hand towards her.   
  
"Hello, you must be Rinoa. My name is Xu Chang, from the Social Services and…!" She was startled when the younger girl's hand slapped the back of hers. Xu withdrew her hand quickly and looked at Rinoa in surprise. "And um… I'm here to…"  
  
"You're not taking my baby away!" Rinoa yelled, clenching and unclenching her fists. She glanced at Patti. "Patti, tell them I'm a good mother! If Ian doesn't think so, then ask them how Ian could be a good father when he was the one who left me!?"  
  
Patti didn't say anything, afraid that if she said something, she knew that it wouldn't help the situation. Rinoa looked back at the stranger of the house wearing the black blazer. Xu looked harmless, but Rinoa wasn't about to let her sensitivity get the better of her. She wasn't going to give up on her baby.   
  
"Ms. Heartilly, I'm only here to evaluate the living conditions of the baby's mother, so that I can make sure that Diana will be all right with you. I never said anything about taking her away from you." Xu looked over her shoulder at Patti. "Is she always like this?"  
  
Patti shook her head. "She is NEVER like this…" She smiled at Rinoa, who smiled back.  
  
Xu began writing something down on her clipboard. After that, she looked back up again at Rinoa. "Rinoa, how old are you?"  
  
"I'm turning seventeen in a few months," Rinoa replied, standing there awkwardly. She glanced at Diana with the corner of her eye, sitting in her crib and just playing with her toys.  
  
"So, basically, you're still sixteen?"  
  
Rinoa nodded.  
  
The woman added more on her notes. "Could you tell me where you work, miss?" This time, she didn't look up, instead she kept writing on her paper.   
  
The dark haired girl frowned. "What does this have to do with Diana?"  
  
Xu looked up with a stern face. "Oh, it has EVERYTHING to do with Diana, Ms. Heartilly. Considering that you're a single mother, living with a middle aged woman who works as a maid, only part time, really affects the living conditions of your child."  
  
Rinoa said nothing.   
  
"So can I ask you again, Ms. Heartilly? Where do you work?"  
  
"I work at a grocery store just a few blocks from here," she replied finally.  
  
"Thank you." Again, she added more notes. "And how much are you making from work?"  
  
The dark haired girl knew where this was going. "Min…minimum wage…" Ashamed, she looked away from the prying eyes of the social worker, not even wanting to look into Patti's.   
  
"And how old is your daughter?"  
  
"Almost a year old now."  
  
The last one, she didn't bother to write down on her sheet, instead, she nodded and looked up, nodding her head at both women. "Thank you very much for your time, Ms. Heartilly, Ms. Grey… I'll just let myself out now."  
  
Patti and Rinoa watched Xu leave and as soon as they heard the front door close, Rinoa ran to her baby quickly. The dark haired girl picked her up in her arms and began rocking her back and forth. "I'm sorry, Diana. I'm so sorry you have to go through this…"  
  
"Rinoa, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. She just came unexpectedly!"  
  
Rinoa smiled. "That's okay, Patti. Ian must have sent the woman to find out what I was up to so he could cry out wolf." She kissed her Diana's forehead and began stroking her soft, warm head. "I won't EVER give up on her and they have no right to take the baby from her mother. Besides, I have help."  
  
"Help? From who?"  
  
Rinoa looked up and smiled. "I have faith that Squall and his father will pull through in helping me keep Diana…"  
  
  
  
  
  
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"I understand…" There was a moment of silence, before he put the phone back on its receiver. He sat there, thinking about what Squall said to him. Laguna felt saddened at the thought of Squall thinking of him as nothing more than a Mayor living in their house, not a father who would take care of his family. Isn't that what he's been doing all these years? He's been working as a Mayor, working hard to raise the family he has grown to love all his life. He knew that he hasn't shown that much compassion to his sons, to prove to them that he really loved them, but… Laguna shook the thoughts away mentally, sighing, as he reached for the pen from the right drawer of his desk. A unique, black, stylish pen, bought from England, gleamed attractively around the palm of his hands and he began to write on the piece of paper he took out from under his folders.   
  
  
  
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For three long weeks, he has waited for something to happen. ANYTHING-- to get his mind off of this. It was driving him crazy just thinking about it. The suspense was killing him. Squall ran a hand through his soft, brown hair and leaned back on his chair. It's been too long since Rinoa went to school. He asked her to come back at least, but she refused. She was still paranoid after a social worker came into their house, checking on things around the house that was 'suited' for Diana. Rinoa had told him that if she left again from school and work, she was afraid that Diana would be taken away from her.   
  
"Mr. Leonhart?"   
  
Squall looked up. Everyone in the class was looking at him now, especially the teacher standing, her eyes firmly set on him quizzically. "Yes, Mrs. Airen?" Mrs. Airen was his Physics teacher and since he was already getting a 100% at least in the class, Mrs. Airen had nothing against the boy. She was just worried about him. Of course, she HAS seen him thinking deeply in class while she lectured, but never this long. The middle aged woman would look up from reading after a long while and would catch him staring out the window, and then he would just go back to work as if nothing happened. But this time…this time his thinking was a lot longer than expected.   
  
"Is something the matter?" Mrs. Airen asked.  
  
Squall shook his head. "Nothing Mrs. Airen." He gave her a long, hard look, telling her with his eyes that it was none of her business. He hated it when people meddle in other people's affairs. What's so great about interfering in someone else's life anyway?   
  
Moira Airen was the first one to break eye contact. Instead of continuing with her lecture, Mrs. Airen told the class to open their physics book and to start reading the fifth chapter. There were moans and angry snares towards the teacher, but Moira couldn't care less. They usually did that and it was just one of the ordinary things that happened in school everyday. She watched as Squall flipped to the chapter of his own text book and began reading it right away.   
  
Squall sighed, resting his chin on his right upward palm. He glanced up at the clock. There was still half an hour left until school was over, but the young man could no longer wait. He had to get out and see Rinoa. From what Patti told him, Rinoa has never left her daughter's side. There was something concerning about that thought of Rinoa just hovering above Diana's crib and watching her without sleep. Patti was worried too. She was scared that Rinoa could have gone insane, but Squall didn't believe that. He knew Rinoa too well to think that way. Squall decided to rest for a while, so he buried his face in his hands and began humming a tune in his head to get his mind off of things.   
  
He was relieved when the bell suddenly rang for him to go. All the students shuffled out of the room, but Squall was the first one to step out into the hallway and dash outside into the cool, November afternoon. A pair of girls, standing by the doorway, one blond and one brunette, handed Squall a piece of paper as he made his way into the parking lot. He glanced at it quickly and then stuffed it in his jacket pocket, before jumping into his car. "Probably another dance…" he mumbled, driving out of his parking space. As the car drove by, he saw a group of freshmen girls staring at a group of senior high school boys chatting amongst each other. They looked away quickly, then began giggling. Squall frowned. How on earth can they be joyful over one small dance? It was no big deal. Him, being a sophomore, it was just a waste of time. For him, a dance was just another excuse for the seniors to smuggle in alcoholic drinks while the principal wasn't watching. The first time he went to the Snowball dance was with Rinoa and she was the most important thing around the dance. Friends didn't matter to him, none of the jocks, or the popular girls. Rinoa, indeed, had a smile that outshined all the pretty girls around gym while they danced. When she smiled, it was as if, sunshine around him existed to brighten the darkest of his days. And has he drove to her house, Squall was shocked beyond belief to find her there, staring into nothingness towards a dark crib. Her baby was sleeping, but Rinoa seemed that she wasn't ready to leave her side yet, even though she didn't need to be there.   
  
"Rinoa?" Squall called quietly, as he tiptoed slowly towards the living room. On a rocking chair near the fire place, sat Patti.   
  
The raven haired girl looked up slowly, her eyes gleaming with tears. "Squall…" she whimpered. Slowly, she got up and ran into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and began to cry. "Oh, Squall! Please help me keep my baby!"  
  
Squall nodded, wrapping his arms around her. "Who said I wasn't going to?" He placed a hand under her chin and forced her to face him. Her eyes, it held such sadness that it seemed she hasn't smiled in years. "What happened?"  
  
"A social worker came," Patti answered from her chair.  
  
The brunette looked up. "What?" He couldn't believe this. "I thought my father-" Squall stopped when he noticed Patti shaking her head. He frowned. He couldn't believe this! After what he said, his father STILL didn't get it through his head! "I don't believe THIS!" Angrily, he stormed out of the house, leaving behind two bewildered women.  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
A hard SMACK startled him from his work. He looked up, staring into the angry eyes of his son. "What is this about?"  
  
"YOU SAID THAT YOU'D HELP ME!" Squall yelled. He shook his head. Tears were suddenly welling up in his eyes. In disbelief, he slammed his fists down again on the table. His father didn't even try to stop him. He just sat there, staring as if his son was a helpless person with no hope whatsoever. "You didn't…!" SLAM "Try.." SLAM "HARD ENOUGH!" SLAM. Squall stopped, his eyes full of tears, his hands and body shaking. He slid on the ground, kneeling, his forehead touching the edge of the table and his head bowed down. Squall's heart was pounding and his head was starting to throb in fury. Squall tightly closed his eyes. He knew he wasn't doing well just by yelling at his father like that all the time, but he couldn't help it.   
  
Laguna gave his son a while to calm down, before he pivoted his chair around, facing the window. "Of course I did…" he replied quietly. Squall opened his eyes, tears still dropping on the floor. He forced his hard breathing to stop so he could listen to his father talk. "You don't think I tried? Yes, I am a mayor, but I don't have that much power to stop the social workers from checking up on the living conditions the baby was getting. Even if I am a Mayor, the Judge made sure that I didn't have a reason to stop the social workers from going to the house. You don't think I tried?" He swiveled his chair around to face him.   
  
Squall looked up and slowly lifted up his head to look at his father in the eyes.  
  
"Squall, I know you love, Rinoa, but what can I do?"  
  
"Make them see how Rinoa loves her baby…" Squall replied quietly, wiping the tears away from his eyes, gaining back his composure. "Or make her stay here…"  
  
"What?" Laguna looked at him in disbelief. "No… I can't do that."  
  
"We have enough room to house a teenage girl and her baby, dad."  
  
"But we don't have enough to help her on what she needs!" Laguna fired back. He stood up suddenly, his fists tightly clenched at his sides. "The money goes to the city, Squall. I am a mayor who brings money to the city to help the people of this city. And the baby's living condition IS very dangerous to the baby."  
  
"You're also a mayor who helps out in charity. Dad, this IS charity!" Squall said. "Patti is there to help Rinoa raise her baby! Rinoa is a good mother!"  
  
Laguna looked away. "I'm sorry, Squall. I just don't think it's suitable for the baby," he simply said.  
  
Squall frowned and stood up. "Fine…For once in your life…do something right!" He turned and left, slamming the door once again behind him.  
  
GoodGurl: Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!! Well, I guess their relationship got worse….@_@ I hope it gets solved soon! And poor Squall…he ACTUALLY cried! *gasp* who would've thought that Squall Leonhart would have emotions! LOL. Stay tuned! 


	19. Maybe

Note: Hi everyone! Oh wow, thanks for your support in this fic! I really appreciate all your reviews! Well, I am close to finishing this story and next, like I mentioned before, is the long awaited, third installment of the 'M' Series set in the near future! Watch out for the introduction of the Millenium Day Fantasy 8! Anyway, back to the story with Seifer and Quistis! Yeay!  
  
Chapter 19 – Maybe…  
  
  
  
A long time ago, the sun, the wind, the trees, would make sense to her on why they were there on Earth. The knowledge would have been told to her by her mother, but since she wasn't alive, it was impossible to question really on why she was born in the first place. She closed her eyes and imagined what her mother would look like. She wondered if she was popular because she was beautiful or popular because she just had the best attitude for it. Her father never mentioned anything to her about her mother's past or how exactly he fell for the lovely blond that caught his eye. She felt the cold wind blowing her blond tresses across her face. Gently, Quistis curled a strand behind her ear and imagined how her mother's voice sounded like. Maybe they were soft and gentle, or deep and understanding. Or maybe her mother's voice sounded like hers; cold, depressed and just didn't know how to express herself or didn't know how to stand up for herself, unless someone handsome, tall, blond and rebellious rescued her like a Knight in shining armor. Her mind wandered towards Seifer Almasy, the boy whom she has learned to understand a lot more. The boy, though arrogant and self righteous, was one of the people in school who seemed to understand her more, for some strange reason.  
  
"Of all places, I didn't expect YOU to be here…"  
  
Startled with the voice, Quistis opened her eyes and found herself staring straight into a pair of green eyes staring down on her. Surprised at his sudden appearance, she sat up quickly, but ended up hitting her head against Seifer's. They could both hear the 'smack' as the two heads made contact.  
  
"AH! CRAP!" Seifer quickly sprang straight up on his feet and began rubbing the front of his forehead comically. "WHAT THE HELL-!?" He turned and glared at her. "What was that about!? You didn't have to knock me off my feet like that!"  
  
Quistis turned and apologized. "I'm sorry! Look, you scared me all right?" She sat back down and quickly rubbed the redness on her cheeks away. If he saw her blushing like that, then he'd know she was thinking about him!  
  
Seifer mumbled another cursed word and sighed, still rubbing his forehead. "And you show how scared you are by bashing someone's head in?"  
  
"Better safe than sorry," Quistis replied quietly.  
  
"What?" He stood there, unsure if he should sit down beside her or just stand there, acting cool like he wasn't still in pain from the forehead smash he was given.   
  
Quistis shook her head. "Nothing. You know, you're such a baby… I don't think it was THAT hard!"  
  
"Hey! Don't call me…" Taking a quiet, deep breath, Seifer folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the tree. "Nevermind…" He watched her sit there, suddenly quiet. "So, what are you doing here anyway? School is still in session you know. I thought you weren't the type of girl who broke the rules of the school?"  
  
"I was thinking about my mom…" The blond girl replied.   
  
Seifer was surprised. He never expected her to answer that quickly and calmly about her personal life. Why is she suddenly telling him about this? "Oh…I see…" He didn't really want to get involved like he was before. It was really a bad idea to hit her father like that. He could get into more than just trouble.   
  
"You know, she died giving birth to me."  
  
Other thing…he didn't how to respond to these types of things. It wasn't like he didn't have a mother, even though they barely talk about stuff like this. This girl never grew up with one.   
  
"When I was growing up, the kids made fun of me because of my lunch."  
  
Seifer smirked. "Lunch? What did you do, feed them old, rotten food? Hah!"  
  
Quistis shook her head, without turning to look at him. "I made my own lunch and since I was very young, I didn't know how to put mayonnaise in my ham sandwich so it came out of the package very messy."  
  
The blond young man didn't know how to respond to that. Maybe he should've kept his mouth shut. He gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he was feeling pity towards this girl, or maybe… "Impossible…" he mumbled.  
  
"Normally, mothers prepared lunch for their kids but…" She sighed deeply. Why was she telling this guy her life story? Why wasn't she scared that he would make fun of how horrible she's lived her life? Maybe… maybe because he stood up for her when she couldn't do it herself… Maybe… "I guess… I guess I wasn't meant to have a mother. I guess it was my fault after all that she died…" She chocked back the tears that threatened to fall and stood up quickly before it really fell from her eyes. She couldn't afford to let ANYONE-- let alone Seifer see her like that.   
  
Seifer couldn't believe this. After all the things he's done, she STILL doesn't get it? He watched her stand up and watched her start to walk away, but Seifer couldn't let her go. Not yet. Before she could pass him, he grabbed her arm and looked hard into her eyes. "Haven't you figured it out yet, Trepe!? It's NEVER a child's fault when she is born from her mother who died! She died because she wanted you to live! Isn't that enough for you!?" He forced her to look at him. "And why don't you cry for once!?"   
  
Quistis turned away, unable to look at him. "I have no reason to cry… And I have no reason to be alive… I should be dead somewhere... and-!" She gasped, when Seifer suddenly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his heartbeat. The blond girl blushed a crimson red and she found herself unable to move. She closed her eyes and pleaded for him to let her go. "Please…let…go…" Her eyes popped open. Tears, once again, were forming in her eyes and she knew that if she closed them, it would all fall at once down her face. Seifer would DEFINITELY see that. And she can't be the victim. She can't be the weak one here. She has to be strong.   
  
"You idiot…" He smirked. "I'm not letting you go until you let go…" Seifer whispered gently. "And you call yourself 'smart'…"  
  
"What-?" What was this guy talking about? She wasn't holding onto anything. HE was the one who was holding on to her… But why wasn't she moving away from him? Why wasn't she pushing herself away from him?   
  
"Tell me something, Quistis. Do you think everyone's life is perfect? Even more perfect than yours?" He slowly released his grip around Quistis to give her some breathing space, but still wouldn't let her go.   
  
"Of course it is…"  
  
"You're such a bad liar," Seifer retorted. "Not everyone's life is perfect you know. Not even Brandy's or someone from the football team who is very popular with everyone in high school. So you can't say that yours is the only that is messed up. We all have our lives screwed up, but there's no point in dwelling in the past. You're supposed to be looking forward, or whatever the hell they say in the hallmark cards, instead of walking backwards with two left feet." He waited for her to respond, but when none came, he added, "And sometimes we all have to let go."  
  
A tear escaped from her eyes.   
  
Then another.   
  
And another. And then all came at once. Quistis was desperate to hold them in, but they kept escaping. Suddenly, she was crying. Suddenly, she was shaking. And suddenly, she was weeping and sniffling, her face crunched up against a young man's chest… one she barely knew but was willing to be there for her. Suddenly, her arms went around his waist and she began to cry as hard as she could, letting out all her emotions, showing him that she was weak after all.   
  
He was too good.   
  
She was too stupid.   
  
No words were exchanged the rest of that moment. He allowed her to cry as much as she wanted, while she continued to weep and wonder if this was truly what she thought about herself. Was it really her fault she died? Was Seifer right, that everyone's lives weren't all that perfect? Has she been selfish all this time? Was she thinking too much about herself instead of thinking about other people's problems? Was she supposed to cry for herself?  
  
  
  
************************  
  
After what happened that day, Seifer couldn't get his mind off of it. Has he gone insane? Did he fall of his bed last night to make him do what he did today? Ever since that time, he can never get his mind off of Quistis' sad face when he held her in his arms and listened to her cry. He listened and said nothing. She cried and said nothing.   
  
The blond young man, the image still engraved in his mind, opened the front door of his house and by the time he opened the door, he was startled to find Martine there again, standing by the stairs and looking around as if he was intruding. And he was. It annoyed Seifer that this guy wasn't as usual being rude to the living conditions of the house. It annoyed him that he was too polite. Too polite, in fact, that he didn't have a reason to kick him in the ass for violating his mother or just making rude comments towards him. He had fun beating the crap out of the three guys his mother took to bed, but this fourth guy was different than the rest of them. Martine was Lynette's best friend in college and Martine was the perfect guy for his mother to be with. Seifer hated that thought.   
  
When Martine noticed him coming in, he gave a wide smile and a wave. "Hello, Seifer, it's me again."  
  
Seifer slammed the door behind him and stopped by the door. He folded his arms across his chest and smirked. "Yes, it's you…"  
  
Martine grinned, then turned away, who obviously noticed that Seifer found him annoying and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yes…"  
  
"Why are you here again?" He lifted a single eyebrow curiously at the older man.  
  
"I'm here to take your mother out on a date!" Martine suddenly said cheerfully.  
  
The blond frowned. "And you're saying that cheerfully…why?"  
  
"Well, because uh…"  
  
"Oh, Seifer, you're back!" Both men looked up to find an unknown woman, dressed in a beautiful black strapless, tight dress with a drooping V neckline. Despite the large drop of the neckline, it was still modest in style. The part where the cleavage showed, was still covered by the fabric of the dress, thankfully. There was a slit on the right side of her dress showing off the end line of her black, satin stockings. Despite her age, Lynette Almasy was still attractive in her early forties wearing a dress like that and still showed a nice figure as if she was nineteen again. Seifer was taken aback by how modest her dress was, which was different from the other dresses she usually wore on her dates.  
  
"Mom? Is that…is that you?" Seifer couldn't believe his eyes.   
  
Lynette laughed, slowly walking down the stairs. "Of course it's me! What other woman would live in this house?" She paused to look at her son. "Unless there's already someone in your mind you want to live here????" Lynette gave him a curious look.  
  
Seifer's eyes widened. "What-? What are you…" He turned away.  
  
  
  
"HAH! I see you blushing!" Lynette giggled, pointing at Seifer like a little girl. "Why didn't you tell me you have a girlfriend, Seifer?"  
  
"She's not…I don't…" He turned his head towards Martine, then back at his smiling mother. "SHUTUP!" Seifer walked pass his mother and up the stairs, slamming the door of his bedroom behind him.  
  
Martine turned to Lynette. "You know, you're not a very good mother when you do that. You sound more like his older sister."  
  
Lynette smiled. "Really? So I DO look young in this dress!" She linked her arms with her date and laughed. "He'll get over it! I'm just glad that boy FINALLY found someone! Whoever this girl is, I know she's lucky to have him."  
  
Martine led his date out the front door and stopped, waiting until Lynette locked the door. When she was finished, he led her to his car. "You know, you raised him well…"  
  
The blond woman looked up. "I didn't do it alone."  
  
He nodded. "How is he doing?"  
  
Lynette shrugged. "From what Seifer told me, he's doing fine with his wife and new kid."  
  
Martine raised a single eyebrow at her. "And you got that from his grunts and nods?" He opened the passenger door first with his key and opened the door for her, before walking over to the driver's seat. When he got inside, Lynette started to laugh. "What?"  
  
"You look like him when you do that," the blond woman replied.  
  
"When I do what?"   
  
"That! Whenever you ask a question, you two raise your right eyebrow. It's so cute!" Lynette stifled a giggle and smiled.   
  
Martine turned on the engine. "So, when exactly are you going to tell him?"  
  
Lynette frowned, turning her head away from him and towards the window. Her eyes wandered to where Seifer's bedroom window was dark and covered by the white curtains. "I'll tell him…somehow…someday…"  
  
  
  
*******************  
  
Quistis placed a hand on her cheek. She had cried. She had showed Seifer how weak she was. It was just a few hours ago that it happened, but it was those hours where it can never be forgotten. It was a moment that would last forever in her heart.   
  
She heard a knock on her door and her Aunt's voice speaking through it. "Quistis, time for dinner," she said. The blond girl sat up from bed and stared out the door and answered, "Yes, Auntie," she replied. As soon as she heard her Aunt's footsteps fade, Quistis got out from bed and walked over to the window. She stared outside into the night where it was dark. It was raining hard now and she could hear the large drops of rain water falling on the rooftop. She was confused now. She didn't know how to make of that scene between her and Seifer. Why did he comfort her? Why did he make her cry like that? She was trying her best NOT to cry, yet he succeeded in doing it. "I hate him," she mumbled. Quistis grabbed both sides of the curtains and closed them hastily. Maybe dinner can make her forget about him. With that thought in her mind, the blond girl left her room and made her way downstairs to the dining room where her Aunt and cousin were waiting for her. Her father was nowhere to be found, but she figured, he was probably working late again. Slowly, she sat down in between her Aunt and her cousin. She smiled at them, though not very well because what happened between her and Seifer earlier was still very much glued into her head. It took her a moment to really realize that she blushed from out of nowhere. Quistis glanced at both Charlotte and Travis, hoping that no one saw, but it was too late. They BOTH saw it in the corner of their eyes. They were watching her this whole time she made an entrance in the dining room.   
  
"Why are you blushing Quistis?" Travis finally asked, after waiting a while to confirm that she was indeed blushing. His mother gave him a hard look, but Travis pressed on. "Did something happen at school today?"  
  
Quistis looked at him and shook her head nervously. "Why-? Of course not! Why do you think that? I'm blushing because it's hot in here."  
  
Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise. "Quistis, the heater isn't even on."  
  
The blond girl blushed even more. She turned her head away and decided to push the topic of conversation from the both of them by putting food on her plate, but it didn't help since Travis was still staring at her curiously. Quistis ignored him more, by eating her food and silently chewing on it, her eyes downcast.   
  
After a while, at Quistis' relief, Travis decided to forget the blush on her cheeks, finished eating and left the dining room quietly for his bedroom. She could hear his footsteps ascend the stairs and into his bedroom at the very end of the hall. Now, the only pair of eyes that were staring at her was her Aunt's, but unlike Travis' this was a look of worry. Finally, after much anticipation, Quistis put her spoon down and looked up. "Is there something you want to ask me, Auntie?"  
  
Charlotte smiled. "Well, there's nothing really, but I was just curious."  
  
"About why I was REALLY blushing?" Quistis was tired of making people feel like they need to know the truth about her life. Lately, that's what she's been doing; telling people about her personal life and her feelings about them without even knowing it.  
  
"You don't have to tell me, if you don't feel like it," Charlotte replied, shrugging. She stood up and took her own empty plate and placed it on top of Quistis' empty ceramic one and put it in the sink, before turning back around to face her niece. "But if you need to talk to someone about it, you can tell me."  
  
Quistis smiled and nodded. "I will…Thanks for the offer." She WAS dying to tell SOMEONE about what happened between her and Seifer and ask someone what to make of it. Was it starting to become a relationship? Is she supposed to feel SOMETHING for the guy? Is it some kind of sign that they're suppose to be together? However, something was telling her it wasn't the right time yet to tell anyone, especially her Aunt about this 'newfound' friendship or maybe even more towards a rebellious young man who has a reputation of being troublesome. She was still unsure about her feelings. There was just something getting in the way of that and she still has no idea what it was. She stood up and nodded. "Well, I think I'm going to do my homework right now. Thank you for dinner Auntie."  
  
Charlotte nodded back in response. "No problem."  
  
With that decided, Quistis walked up the stairs and into her bedroom. In truth, she didn't have homework. It was the only excuse she has so her Aunt wouldn't keep her watchful eyes on her about her problems. She didn't want her to be involved in something that she knew she could do alone. Even if it was about someone whom Charlotte knew since he was just a boy. Instead of doing something else to keep her occupied from her thoughts of Seifer, Quistis looked out the window, which didn't help because it made her thought of him more. She sat down on the window sill and began to think about what Seifer said to her. "You're supposed to be looking forward, or whatever the hell they say in the hallmark cards, instead of walking backwards with two left feet."   
  
How can she do that when all her life, she's been growing up, thinking that she was a failure to be born? She wished she was walking forward but all she's been doing is walk the opposite way of an escalator going up. "I wish you could see how hard it is for me, Seifer," she whispered to herself. She rested her chin on her folded arms atop the window sill and stared out into the night. Unlike tonight, the moon was full and it was as bright as the sun during the day. It was the most beautiful sight she has ever seen, but it was nothing compared to the memories of her mother, even though she never met her. In her eyes, in her dreams, she was beautiful. When she was five years old, her father gave her a toy that her mother wished for her to play the moment she was born. Her mother wished to be playing it along with her, but it was too late. "Dammit…" she hissed, wiping tears that once again fell from her eyes. "I hate you, Seifer," she spoke. She blamed him for making her feel this way. She blamed him for making her remember all the good memories she wished she had forgotten. A year later, when she was turning six, her Aunt Charlotte sent her a book for a birthday gift. She knew how to read then, but she wished someone would read her a bedtime story. Her father was out working and she was always all alone. Her mother wasn't there to read her the story with her soft, gentle voice. So…Quistis ended up doing it herself. More tears fell from her eyes. "No…" she whispered. She buried her face in her arms and sniffed. "I don't want to cry."  
  
Then a voice spoke in her head. "And sometimes we all have to let go."   
  
She shook her head. "No, I don't want to cry. I don't want to let go… I hate you, Seifer."  
  
GoodGurl: Did she really mean what Quistis said at the end? Heh, of course not! ;) This I think is the turning point for Quistis when she realizes that she's important to other people and that her mother sacrificed her whole life just to make her live. Now, let's see next time if her father will understand it. 


	20. Best Friends Forever

Note: Woah! I got a cool fan! Heh heh! I really appreciate all the reviews everyone, thus making this fic successful in my opinion! First off, I just want to say thank you to:   
  
Verdanii - Hah hah! A reviewer who would even curse to show that they like my story! Good for you!   
  
Remote Mine – Glad you like it! Hope to hear more from you on later chapters!  
  
Ruby-servantof-eli – Ah my devoted Seiftis fan! Keep reading because you're going to be more surprised with it! HAH HAH!  
  
Kool Kaizer – Awww how can you not like angst! Angst is beeeeeautiful! LOL.  
  
Quistis88 – Thank you very much for reviewing! ^^  
  
empty26 – What happened to editing the story? I would appreciate it if you have more reviews about what errors I have on my grammar!  
  
Litoblueanjel – I am flattered about your review! Thank you very much!  
  
Fantasywolf – Hope to hear more from you! Thanks again! *thumbs up*  
  
Kikyou – Thank you for your review, despite it being uh…'flattering' but I appreciate your honesty. I'll try to be more careful next time but I wasn't trying to offend you so I apologize! ^^;  
  
Sickness in Salvation – Thank you for correcting me about Selphie and her brother's age! I'll learn to be more careful about it in the near future!  
  
Angel – I am trying my best to hurry up with the chapters! Hope to hear from you more! ^^  
  
lost but found again – I appreciate your review! Thanks! ^^  
  
Quistis Almasy – Hey, I've seen you before! o.O Glad to hear from you again! *grins*  
  
Mariko – Thank you SOOO much for telling about the rules of soccer! And I, the one who has played soccer before, didn't even have the slightest idea about it! @_@ Thanks again!  
  
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kite – Glad to hear a review from you! Thank you!  
  
Caleb Nova – It WAS a shame the previous Modern was erased, but hey, this Modern story is good isn't it? LOL. ;)  
  
Dee – Oh yeah Zell DEFINITELY smokes! Thank you! I hope to hear more reviews from you! ^^  
  
Achenar – Momy? I'm not your mommy! LOL! Anyway, thanks for reviewing! ^^  
  
lilsingin'gem – You don't like modern versions???? Aww come on! But I'm glad you like my story! Thanks a lot! *smiles*  
  
noon – Rare, huh? I'm glad you like my story! Hope to hear more from you!  
  
Star112 – I'm glad you enjoyed Medieval Day! I hope you're going to like the ending of this one and soon to enjoy my Millenium one! THANK YOU!  
  
Platinum Angel – Seifuu gal, eh? ^^ That's all right; at least you gave me a review! Thanks a lot!  
  
Twenty-four cent – Wow! A new reader to my story! Welcome and thank you very much for your reviews! I'm glad you like it! ^^  
  
Melix – That's a really good idea! I actually did that before, but I think I'd rather keep the problems away from each other. I don't know, for me it seems like a good idea. But thanks for the idea and for your review! ^^  
  
NOW! ON WITH THE STORY! THANKS A LOT AGAIN YOU GUYS! ^^ Oh yes, there is also a Millenium Day Fantasy 8 teaser! ^^ Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 20 – Best Friends Forever  
  
  
  
Waiting for results in a hospital was very nerve-wrecking…something she wasn't used to. But… Selphie looked up and around the waiting room. Zell must have felt even more than just nervous when he was just a boy, waiting for his parents to leave the emergency room. The results were tragic and Selphie knew her feelings now, was nothing compared to the feelings Zell felt when he found out his parents were…dead.  
  
"Selphie?" a little voice spoke somewhere.  
  
The brunette looked down at a small figure standing in front of her. Little Isabelle, who was turning six soon, placed her tiny hand on top of Selphie's and looked up with a curious gaze. "Where is Zell?"   
  
Selphie smiled and placed a hand on top of her head. "I don't know," was her only answer. Honestly, she didn't know where Zell was. He was either in a room resting, where doctors are waiting for any signs of life or still in the emergency room where the doctors were operating on him. She didn't know if they were true, but she would rather know the truth soon. She hated the suspense. Selphie picked Isabelle up and settled her down on her lap, wrapping her arms around the tiny girl.   
  
Her thoughts were confirmed, however, when suddenly, the door of the waiting room opened, revealing a middle aged man dressed in a doctor's coat and a stethoscope around his neck. He wore thick, round glasses, which looked like it was about to fall off his face and had dark skin. His name tag read, "Dr. Joseph Lees" and Dr. Lees approached Zell's Uncle first, who was standing closest to the door. Vanessa sat on the other side of the room and had looked up anxiously waiting for the Doctor to say something. "Mr. and Mrs. Raymond?" Selphie watched as the Doctor shook Charlie's hand and then Vanessa's, who stood up to greet the Doctor eagerly. "Zell is just fine."   
  
Those last four words confirmed her answers. Zell was going to be all right and Selphie, for the first time that day, breathed a sigh of relief. Selphie continued to listen as the Doctor waited for Charlie and Vanessa's reactions, before speaking again. "A little more to the left and he would have been paralyzed. There is a minor fracture in his right shoulder from the bullet, but wearing a cast around it for a few months will surely heal it in no time."   
  
"Can we see him?" Vanessa asked, holding her husband's hand.  
  
Doctor Lees nodded. "Of course you can. He's resting right now." He opened the door of the waiting room and allowed Vanessa inside first and Charlie followed closely behind.   
  
"Where are they going?" Isabelle asked, more curious than ever. It seemed she was too content in the arms of her cousin's best friend to go after her parents.   
  
Selphie smiled, gently stroking Isabelle's soft, blond, curly hair. "They're going to see Zell."  
  
"What happened to him?" The young girl looked up, her eyes still full of curiosity and innocence.   
  
The older girl didn't answer; instead, she held the little girl tightly and closed her eyes. She stayed like that with Isabelle for full ten minutes, before Charlie and Vanessa entered the waiting room once again. At that moment, Isabelle had fallen asleep in Selphie's arms. "He wants to see you," Charlie whispered, picking up Isabelle in his arms.   
  
"He's in room ten," Vanessa retorted. "He doesn't know about him yet…I think he should know."  
  
Selphie stood up and nodded, hugging Vanessa silently, before leaving the waiting room for room ten. She was eager to see him, even if it was only ten hours ago that she had seen Zell last. She hasn't slept in those ten hours, but it was worth waiting. When she arrived in room ten, Selphie opened the door quietly and stepped inside. The room was small, but for a person lying in bed with stitches and anesthetic, it seemed big. Zell was there, just as Vanessa said and his eyes were closed. There was an IV attached on his right hand where his right shoulder was wrapped heavily with bandages. Selphie quietly approached the bed and sat down on the vacant seat right next to him, then scooped up Zell's hand gently into hers.   
  
Selphie watched him sleep, but she was quite startled when Zell suddenly smiled and opened his eyes. "Hi," he whispered.   
  
The young brunette smiled back. "How are you feeling?" she asked. It was a dumb question, but it was better than nothing. She was too shocked right now to ask anything else.   
  
Zell gave a slight nod. "I'll be fine," he replied. "How are you doing?"  
  
In all honesty, Selphie couldn't help but frown. "Scared," she said, squeezing Zell's hand slightly. "I thought you died…" She looked into Zell's eyes. "I was so scared Zell!" She buried her face in his chest and began to weep.   
  
The blond lifted up his hand on top of her head and stroked her brown, bouncy hair. "Hey, hey you don't need to be scared anymore. What matters is that I'm alive, right?"  
  
Selphie lifted her head up and smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She was still not convinced. "Why did you have to go and do something like that!?"  
  
Zell looked away. "He's my friend too, Selphie. I couldn't just abandon him."  
  
Selphie said nothing. "Zell...Something happened to Kent."  
  
The blond turned his head back at her. "What happened? Did something happen to him?" When Selphie didn't answer, Zell sat up, but the pain in his shoulder was too much to bear, so he was forced to lie back down. "Tell me Selphie!" He placed a hand on hers. "What happened to Kent!?"  
  
Selphie looked straight into his eyes. "He…" She took a deep breath. "After you fell unconscious, Kent forced his way towards you, but those men…they…" She bit her lip. She couldn't do this. She couldn't tell him, but the look she was giving him was too obvious. Zell could read her face and his eyes suddenly held that kind of fear he showed when his parents died. He held that look of an innocent child who had just lost his parents all over again.   
  
"No…" Zell couldn't believe this. It was impossible. Kent was too trapped to be shot…dead… That's impossible! NO WAY! "No, you're lying." He shook his head, much to Selphie's disbelief.   
  
"Why would I lie?" Selphie held Zell's hand tighter. She held her eyes against his and Zell knew…She wasn't lying. Tears began to form in his eyes. It collected there and as soon as he blinked, the tears began to fall at ones on the bed. And, for the first time, Zell began to weep. Selphie stood up and wrapped her arms around him, allowing her best friend to bury his face into her shoulder.  
  
"It's all right, Zell," Selphie whispered. "Everything will be all right. I'm here. I'll always be here." Tears fell from her own eyes, remembering the same thing that happened between them when Zell lost his parents.   
  
~past~  
  
"It's okay Zelly," a ten year old Selphie whispered in ten year old Zell's ear. "Everything will be all right. I'm here. I'll always be here. Zell continued to cry, but Selphie refused to let him go. She continued to comfort him in any way she could. She let him cry as long as he wanted to.   
  
"Why does everyone leave me?" the young boy whimpered from his lips.  
  
Selphie shook her head. "No one is leaving you, Zelly. I won't leave you." She held him tighter in her arms. She could feel her best friend wiping his nose against her shoulder, but she didn't care. "I'll always be here. Remember that, okay? We're best friend, Zelly! Best friends NEVER leave each other's sides! They're ALWAYS together!"  
  
"I want my mom! I want my dad!" Zell said, holding unto Selphie tighter now. "I miss them!"  
  
Selphie stroked her best friend's blond head. "I miss them too," the young girl replied. "But they will always be beside you, even if you don't see them."  
  
Zell sniffed. "Really?" He pulled away and looked at her.  
  
Selphie nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Really! And because you'll always remember them in your heart, they will always be here beside you! It feels like they never left!" She began wiping his tears away with her hands.  
  
The blond boy gave a smile.  
  
~present~  
  
"Thank you," Zell suddenly said.  
  
Selphie opened her eyes, leaving the past and coming back to the future. She pulled herself away from him and looked into her best friend's eyes. "For what?"  
  
Zell pulled her back in his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder. "For being there when I got hit. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here."  
  
The young brunette smiled and nodded. "Same with you." She wrapped her arms tighter around him. "Zell, you know what Kent told me while he was in the ambulance with you?"  
  
The blond nodded. "What did he say?"  
  
"He said he was sorry for getting you into trouble. He said that he deserved to be shot."  
  
Zell once again buried his face in her shoulder. "That idiot…" he mumbled.  
  
"I wanted to hate him for making you go there. I wanted to hit him many times, but what he said…it really hurt me. I felt guilty for feeling that way. I didn't want to believe that he was truly sorry, but the reason why he was on a stretcher with you was because he WAS truly sorry."  
  
Zell said nothing as Selphie continued to talk. "And you know what else he said? He said that he always wanted to quit, change his life and be like you more. He wanted to grow up and have his own family to love and cherish like you do and have a future where there was no marijuana in his life. He said he was also sorry for dragging you into his 'life.' What did he mean by that?"  
  
"That liar," he murmured. That was all he said in the matter. After that, he said nothing and Selphie chose not to pressure him with that question again.  
  
They stayed embraced in each other's warmth for the longest time on that day. Zell felt secured in Selphie's arms. Every time he hugged her, it felt like he was home again; a home where his mom was baking cookies and to where his dad was fixing their old car that has been in the family for years. Every time he was in her arms, he was complete.  
  
  
  
****************************  
  
Rain was beginning to pour heavily upon them. There was silence, except of course for the raindrops that fell above them on the umbrella. The grave stood there, waiting patiently for the flowers to be put beside it. Zell kneeled down slowly and placed a bouquet of white lilies, ones that Kent told him reminded him of lonely flowers even amongst their own kind. He told the blond that those should be the flowers people should put beside his grave to remind him of the feelings he has felt before he met Zell. "Rest in peace, Kent," Zell whispered. He stood back up and stared down at Kent's resting place. "May you find your way home." The blond looked at his companion standing beside him and nodded. "Let's go," he said.  
  
Selphie looked at Zell and gently linked arms with him. Silently, they both walked out of the graveyard, passing other graves of the people who lost their lives for some other reasons and back towards their car. They were just about to reach their destination, when a figure of a woman called to them. "Excuse me," she spoke softly.  
  
Both Selphie and Zell looked up at the voice. She was a petite woman, maybe two inches shorter than Selphie and had short, dark hair, cut like a boy's style. Despite her height and boyish looks, the woman looked to be around her mid forties. "My name is Naomi Marshall," the woman said, introducing herself to the two.   
  
Zell's eyes widened. "Marshall? You're-!"  
  
"Kent's mother," she replied, finishing Zell's sentence.   
  
Selphie glanced at Zell. "But I thought you said Kent was an orphan?"  
  
The woman shook her head. "No, he was NEVER an orphan. He wished he was…" She looked down shamefully and sighed. "About a year ago, he ran away from home. Hours before he decided to drive away in his car and never come back, he left me a message on the answering machine, telling me that he was tired of living at home."  
  
"Why?" Zell asked, placing the umbrella over the woman. Selphie decided to put on her hood, to show respect to the woman whose son just died, but kept her arms linked with her best friend.   
  
Naomi took a deep breath, thanking Zell for the umbrella. "He and his father were VERY close, but when he died in a car accident, he began to turn cold and isolated from not only his friends, but me as well. I got tired of his attitude, I even yelled at him to prove my point that I didn't like his personality anymore and then he blew at me. Two days later, he left…" Tears fell from the woman's eyes.  
  
Selphie reached inside her pocket and took out a tissue paper, then handed it to the woman. "Here," she said.  
  
The woman took the tissue from Selphie and wiped her eyes with it. "And I had no idea he was here this whole time. For months I've been looking for him and just a week ago he wrote to me and told me where he lived. I got lost on the way to the address he gave me and by the time I did, the house was empty and I heard what happened from the landlord…"   
  
Zell and Selphie stood there, unmoving, unable to say comforting words to Kent's mother. It was hard. They were still paralyzed from Naomi's story to say anything at all. Without a moment's rest, Naomi continued with her story. "In his letters, he told me how he has been living his life and he told me about…you…" She looked up and stared into Zell's eyes. The blond was surprised. He has never seen the eyes of a worried mother. He imagined they were just the same if his mother was alive today. "He talked about you a lot, Zell. He told me how great of a friend you are and I knew he was taken care of." More tears fell from her eyes. "I wanted to apologize to him for being so rash. The last words I told him before he left a year ago was…'I hate you.' Now…now I can't even apologize to him anymore, because…because…" She paused and began to weep, burying her face in her hands.  
  
"Yes you can," Zell said.   
  
Naomi looked up, surprised.  
  
The blond placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Who says you can't apologize to your son? Even if he isn't here, I know that he knows you're sorry for what you said. He probably even knew that you didn't mean it. You can apologize to him now and I'm sure he can hear you."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
Zell nodded. "I know so."  
  
"Th-thank you…" Naomi stammered, wiping more tears from her eyes with the tissue Selphie gave her.   
  
Zell grinned. Naomi gave him one last look, before walking pass them towards her son's grave. Both of them watched as the woman approached Kent's grave. "Come on, let's leave her alone," he heard Selphie say. Zell nodded and both of them walked back to their car.   
  
When they were inside, Selphie in the driver's seat, while Zell in the passenger seat since his shoulder was still injured, they were silent for a while; overwhelmed by the story Kent's mother told them. They gave each other a couple of minutes of silence, before Selphie glanced at Zell and said, "Are you all right?"  
  
Zell looked at her and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"So, what do you want to do now?" She put the keys in the ignition and pulled the gear into 'drive.'  
  
"I want to go talk somewhere… just the two of us. Do you know a place?"  
  
The rain had finally stopped.  
  
Selphie nodded. She knew the right place to talk. "Yeah, I do." With that thought in mind, since the rain had stopped, she pulled out of the parking space and drove to their destination.  
  
They arrived shortly to where Selphie thought would be the best place to talk. It was a deserted beach, but despite it being isolated from the city, it was very clean and untouched. It was supposed to be reserved for a construction site, but since the company didn't have enough money, they decided to terminate the plan. She was surprised that no one has ever touched it yet, or left any garbage to show they didn't care about the place. They were lucky enough for Selphie to think of the place. There was no one else there, except for a few flocks of birds searching for food. It was too bad, because it really was a nice beach, plus it had a nice view of the sunshine. "This place…" Zell said, once they stepped out of the car. He looked at Selphie. "This looks familiar."  
  
Selphie shook her head in disbelief. "How can you not remember this place? This is where we first met!" She took his hand and dragged him further down the beach, towards the water and sat down on the soft sand, pulling him along with her.   
  
Zell adjusted himself on the wet, sandy floor and sighed. They were quiet for a while, watching the sun that suddenly appeared from behind the clouds. It was about to set and it was a beautiful sight and quite surprising because a minute ago, it was dark and foggy. It was a good thing they came here to see the sun set. He looked around, trying to remember and the first image that came into his mind was him as a ten year old boy, carrying a ten year old Selphie on his back. Selphie was crying and complaining about the jelly fish that stung her left foot. That thought made Zell smile.  
  
Selphie glanced at him. "What are you smiling about?"  
  
Zell looked at her, wrapping his arms around his pulled up legs. "Well, I just started to remember that time when a jelly fish stung your leg and you insisted that I carry you on my back because you couldn't walk."  
  
Selphie remembered that day too. "Oh yeah…"  
  
"And to be perfectly sure, you weren't stung by a jelly fish at all."  
  
"What? Of course I was!" Selphie said, slapping his arm playfully. "Don't lie to me!"  
  
The blond shook his head and laughed. "I'm not! You THOUGHT you were, but you weren't! Didn't your brother ever tell you? It was just a crab that pinched your toe! I knew before then too, but I wanted to see how far you would go!"  
  
Selphie frowned. "You and my brother were in on it? That's not fair!"  
  
"And you went SO far! Unfortunately, it was a bad idea in the first place, because you were SOOOO fussy about it! You made me carry you all the way up that hill and back home!"  
  
"Hah! Serves you right!" Selphie folded her arms across her chest and laughed.  
  
For a while, they were quiet, until Zell spoke again. "Selphie, are you scared of dying?"  
  
Selphie looked at him curiously. It was a strange question to ask and certainly a quick change in subject. "I am, but sometimes I'm not."  
  
"What do you mean?" Zell asked, looking at her.   
  
"I'm scared of dying of course! And I wonder sometimes where I would go once I die, if when we die…will we feel it? But you know what?" She smiled at him. "I don't like to think about it, because all I want to do is think about living."  
  
Zell smiled back.   
  
"And I'm sure Kent was probably thinking the same thing…" She moved closer to him, until their shoulders touched and laid her head on his shoulder. The left shoulder wasn't injured, so she was free to lay her head there. "Your parents too…"  
  
Zell laid his head on top of hers. "I think so too…" He said, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around Selphie's shoulders. "I'll miss all of them."  
  
The brunette nodded. "I know you will. We all miss those who die, because we love them, but they know you're thinking of them, so they won't be sad wherever they are."  
  
The blond smiled. "You're right…" He removed his arms from her shoulders and took Selphie's hand in his. "So, I'm going to quit…"  
  
Selphie looked up. "Quit what?"  
  
"I was to quit smoking and I need your help. Can you help me?"  
  
The girl nodded, grasping her hand in his. "Of course I will…Best friends forever, right?"  
  
Zell smiled. "For life…"  
  
GoodGurl: WOOH! Chapter is finally finished! I actually LOVE this chapter! I am such a sucker for mushiness! ~ Stay tuned! ^^ Don't go yet tho! There is still a Millenium Day teaser! ^^  
  
Millenium Day Fantasy 8  
  
  
  
Running out of breath.  
  
Tired of running.  
  
But despite the obstacles, she ran as fast as she could. She wouldn't dare stop and if she did, there was no telling what 'they' would do once they captured the both of them. She couldn't let them capture her. Not yet. It would be the end of the world if 'they' took hold of her. It would be the end of them all.   
  
"Where are we going?" the little voice beside her echoed, as they made a sharp turn in one of the dark corners of the halls. She glanced beside her where a ten year old girl ran just as slow beside her. It was hard to believe that this girl, so innocent and vulnerable could be one of the dangers of the world. The ones to bring death on earth. The curse that would end all mankind. She didn't understand it at all why she was protecting this girl.   
  
"There they are!"   
  
Startled, she looked over her shoulder to find a group of armed men chasing after them. She tugged the girl's arm, forcing her to run faster. She could hear them gaining on them, but she was not about to give up. It was far too risky for her to fight them all, especially with just one Silver Alloy left in her gun. It was much harder as well to protect the little girl with that one bullet while protecting her own life in the process. And just as her hope was running out on her, she noticed a door on her right. With a burst of speed, she picked up the girl in her arms and placed the girl inside. "Don't make a move, okay?" she whispered to the girl.  
  
The girl nodded, her eyes widening in fright.  
  
She smiled at the blond girl and winked at her. "Don't be scared. I promised them I'd protect you and I will!" She closed the door quickly and turned around to face her foes. About five men came in view from around the corner, all armed with their Gold Alloyed guns. She grinned, taking out her own gun from the holster and prepared herself for the fight.   
  
They all stopped in front of her. One of them, dressed in a slightly different outfit than the rest, stepped forward, pointing the gun towards her. "Why don't you just give up and give us the girl? We promise we will spare your life."  
  
She glared at them, gripping her right hand around the trigger and pointed it at the man. "You give up and I'll spare ALL your lives!"  
  
The man laughed. "Did you hear that men? She plans on taking all of us out with just one bullet left!" The rest of his men laughed hoarsely.  
  
A drop of sweat fell from the side of her face. Damn! Somehow, he knew she had one bullet left and it was a Silver Alloy, not enough to kill just one. They had Gold ones, that when fired from a gun, it would strike many enemies with just one shot. She was lucky that they were human enough not to shoot a woman and a child while on the run. Not only that, they had suits protecting them from any form of bullets, ESPECIALLY a Silver Alloy that can only damage a woman, a child or a small animal. She should've believed him and took a Gold Alloy with her, but she was far too stubborn to admit that she needed a man's opinion on the matter. She looked around, trying to find an opening that could help her and the little girl escape, but there was none. And there was only one thing left to do. She grinned. "Don't misunderstand me, Mr. Capitano..." she said, aiming the gun at the leader's head. "I plan on killing all of you...and this isn't just a Silver Alloy. It's a SPECIAL Silver Alloy."  
  
All men's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
Her grin grew wider. "Do you know how many men this 'special' Silver Alloy can kill? Or do you want to bet your life on it?"  
  
"You're bluffing!" the captain said.  
  
She shrugged. "Well, I guess you want to bet your life on it then, huh? I'll count to three...one...two..." Another sweat fell from her forehead.  
  
The captain smirked. "A woman has no guts in killing anyone..." he said. Without a second thought, he fired. BAM! The bullet had hit its mark. She gasped. She never thought it would happen like this. She felt the hit. She felt the pain. It had hit at the side of her heart, barely missing it, but it did hit her. Her knees touched the ground and she could feel her body falling towards the ground.   
  
It wasn't suppose to happen like this, she thought. She was suppose to protect the girl and bring her safely back to where she belonged.  
  
"You're not good at bluffing," the captain said. "Get the girl!"   
  
She could hear many footsteps around her as she hit the floor. Her heart was losing its beat. Blood began to spurt and drip on the floor. The footsteps began to fade and her life began to drift away from her body.   
  
She could hear the little girl scream, but she couldn't move. She couldn't get a good look on where they had taken her.   
  
Her eyes began to close.  
  
Then...  
  
She no longer breaths. 


	21. Confirmed

Note: I have to say that there are maybe at least a few more chapters left of this story so I'm quite excited about the ending!!! I know you guys are too! Oh yes, I've also decided to join the couples together in these last few chapters to see how they would cope together with their problems…   
  
  
  
Chapter 21 – Confirmed   
  
  
  
She couldn't sleep. This whole time, she laid in bed, thinking about what Seifer said to her. It's been echoing in her head ever since she came home that night, crying and thinking that same thought over and over in her head. Quistis glanced at the clock on her bedside table and noticed that it was already five past four in the morning. In about two or three hours, she would have to get up for school. The blond tossed and turned, trying her best to close her eyes, but no sleep would come. 'Damn that Seifer for making me think!' she thought.  
  
Realizing that just closing her eyes wouldn't help, Quistis decided to get up and maybe drink a cup of warm milk to help with her lack of sleep. She walked down the stairs and made her way to the kitchen. When she reached the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of milk on her favorite cup and placed it inside the microwave to heat it up a little. As soon as she heard the microwave beep, she took out the cup of warm milk and thought of carrying it into the living room to watch a little bit of television. However, as soon as she turned, Quistis was startled when she noticed a dark figure sitting on the reclining chair in the living room. It took her a while to realize that the big, male sized feet was just her father who probably just came home from work.   
  
"What are you doing up?" Sean spoke, glancing over his shoulder at Quistis. His eyes were red and in addition to show his fatigue, he had bags underneath his eyes. That's when Quistis knew that once again, Sean Trepe went out drinking.   
  
Quistis lifted up her cup of warm milk to him. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to get something to drink."  
  
Sean grunted, lifting himself up from the reclining chair. Quistis hadn't noticed that his right hand was gripped around a half empty bottle of beer. "Don't lie to me! You just want to check up on me to see that I didn't go to the bar again."  
  
The blond shook her head. "I didn't even know you came home late. I was in my room this whole time…" Without another word, she turned and began her way back up the stairs, but her father had reached out and grabbed her arm forcefully that Quistis accidentally dropped her cup of milk.   
  
"Don't lie to me! First you lied to me that you didn't know about this young man named Seifer and now you lie to me about checking up on me! I don't NEED to be checked up on! I am a grown man!" He gripped his hand tighter around her arm.  
  
Quistis dared to look into his eyes. She knew she shouldn't have, but something in her gave her the confidence to look into the hateful eyes of her father. "Dad, I wasn't checking up on you… I couldn't sleep so I went to get a glass of warm milk."  
  
Sean's eyes turned into thin slits. "Are you talking back to me!?"  
  
"I wasn't talking back to you-!" Her words were interrupted when she felt the same stinging hand hit her left cheek. Quistis stumbled back, landing on her butt and immediately her hand went on top of her reddened cheeks. Sean hovered above her; glaring down on her with the same look of dissatisfaction…no… it wasn't that- 'hate' was the right word for it. It has always been hate. She noticed him lifting up his arm again to strike her and she Quistis could do nothing but sit there and prepared herself for the blow.   
  
"What's that noise? Travis, go get the bat!" She could hear her Aunt's voice at the top of the stairs. The lights suddenly turned on, but before Sean decided to withdraw from his next assault, Charlotte had already seen him towering over his daughter. Travis appeared seconds later, holding a bat. "What-? Sean? What are you-?" Her eyes widened in horror when she noticed Quistis' swollen cheeks. Charlotte ran down the stairs and grabbed her, helping her up on her feet. She stepped in between the young girl and her father. "What do you think you're doing!?"  
  
Travis joined his mother, holding the bat and glanced at his cousin. He frowned when he noticed the marks on Quistis' cheek. "I think I have a pretty good idea what's going on…" He turned to glare at his uncle. "You bastard! What have you been doing to Quistis!?"  
  
Sean snorted, taking a gulp of his bottle of beer. "What are you planning to do with me when I tell you that I've been teaching her a lesson?"  
  
Travis gritted his teeth. He lifted up his arms, getting ready to swing his bat, when his mother stopped him. "What-? Mother! Look what he did to Quistis!"  
  
"Put it down Travis. I don't want anymore violence in this house!" She grabbed the bat from her son and glared at her brother-in-law. "You seem to be drunk Sean… And while you're drunk, you seem to be hurting Quistis! Stay away from her or I will call the police!" She glanced over her shoulder at her niece. "Are you all right, Quistis?"  
  
The blond girl nodded. "I'm fine, Auntie…really! You don't need to call the police! Like what you said, my dad's just drunk and he has no idea what he's doing!"  
  
"Stop defending him Quistis! He's being a bastard!" Travis hissed, clenching his fists at his sides.   
  
"Leave the house Sean or I will be forced to call the police!" Charlotte threatened, gripping her hand around the bat.   
  
Sean snorted again and with an angry glare towards Quistis, he threw the half empty bottle against the window where it smashed glass against glass. Without another word, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him. Travis wanted to go after him with the bat, but Charlotte shook her head. "I want you to bring me ice for Quistis," she told her son. She placed an arm around Quistis' shoulders and led her to the living room. "Sit down," she commanded.  
  
Quistis obeyed and sat down on the large sofa sitting in front of the fireplace. Quietly, she watched as Charlotte sat on the couch beside her. Travis arrived seconds later, carrying an ice pack. He handed the ice pack to his mother and sat down on the chair on the opposite side. Charlotte gently placed the ice pack on the corner of Quistis' mouth where it had taken damage the most from her father's hit.   
  
They were silent for a while, until Charlotte said, "How long has this been going on, Quistis?" She dabbed the ice a couple of times, making Quistis wince.   
  
"A… a few weeks," she replied.  
  
"What!? A few weeks and you never told us!?" Travis yelled, suddenly standing up angrily.  
  
  
  
"Hush up, Travis!" Charlotte said, glaring at her son. The fifteen year old boy sighed and sat back down. She turned her attention back towards Quistis. "You're really good at hiding this. It's been happening for a few weeks and we never found out that he was doing this to you…"  
  
Quistis looked down on the ground in shame, halting Charlotte's process to clean the blood from her lip. "I didn't want you guys to worry. I didn't want this to be a burden on your shoulders…"  
  
"That's nonsense!" Charlotte said, continuing to clean her wounds. "It's never a burden when my niece is having problems! If you told us then none of this would have happened! I would never let your father come near you again!"  
  
"Mom, I think you should call the police and have him arrested!" Travis said, grinding his teeth together every time he thought about his Uncle.  
  
Quistis looked at her Aunt. "No, please don't do that!" she pleaded. "You can call the police, but don't let him be arrested!"  
  
"Why are you defending him, Quistis!?" Travis was getting annoyed by his cousin's behavior.   
  
The blond girl looked up at her cousin. "Because he's my dad! He and I are the only ones for each other! I know he can change if you just give him time! How about a restraining order? Can I just have that happen? Just a restraining order?"  
  
Charlotte sighed. "All right, I won't have him arrested."  
  
"What!? But mom…"  
  
"It's her choice, Travis," Charlotte replied.   
  
Quistis breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Auntie," she said.   
  
"But I am curious, Quistis…" Charlotte looked into Quistis' eyes. "Why don't you want him to be arrested? This has been going on for too long, yet you STILL refuse to put him in jail?"  
  
"I promised mother that I would take care of him…" Quistis replied.  
  
"Well, you better get to bed. We can talk more about this tomorrow," Charlotte said.   
  
Quistis stood up. "Thank you again, Auntie," she said, heading for the stairs. "I should sleep if I want to get up in two hours for school."  
  
"You're still going to school after what happened?" Travis asked in disbelief. He joined her near the stairs.  
  
"I don't want to miss any of my classes. Besides, I have exams coming up so I can't miss any of the questions my teachers go over."  
  
Charlotte said nothing as she watched Travis and Quistis head back to their bedrooms. "Just like you, Flora… strong willed and stubborn."  
  
  
  
************  
  
  
  
  
  
How long has she been in this state? Too long; if she kept this up, she wouldn't know how to get out of it. Patti watched Rinoa cuddle her baby as if nothing else in the world mattered. Mothers, she knew, grow attached to their children, despite how old or how young the mother was. It was morning now and Rinoa was ready to get back to school after being absent for three weeks from the drama that unfolded between her, Ian, Squall and Diana. She was getting ready for school, all dressed up and proper to show to everyone else that she was normal again. Patti didn't know what made Rinoa change her mind about going back to school, but she figured it could be Squall. Maybe he promised to help her out after all, though she hasn't heard from him for a week.   
  
"You better get going or you'll be late for school," Patti said softly from where she sat. Rinoa looked up and nodded, putting her baby back down in the crib. She grabbed her backpack in the other room, but stopped just beside Diana's crib, afraid that if she were to leave again, something might happen. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. The social worker didn't come back so I think they decided to let you keep your baby."  
  
Rinoa looked up hopefully. "You really think so?"   
  
Patti smiled reassuringly. "I'm not positive but worrying about her too much CAN put a strain on your baby."  
  
The dark haired girl frowned. "That's not funny."  
  
"Well, funny or not, you should go to school."  
  
Sighing, Rinoa nodded and left, after hesitating a few more times. She needed to talk to someone. ANYONE, but she knew she couldn't talk to Selphie and Zell about it, since they were both suspended. Squall wasn't there, though Rinoa was starting to get worried and the only person she could think of that she knew would listen was…  
  
Rinoa nodded. "I'm going to tell her," she said to herself. She needed to get everything off her chest. Telling someone might make her feel better.  
  
  
  
*************   
  
"Really? Oh…" She sat there dumbly, trying to figure out the right words to say. She never knew this kind of thing actually happened to her friends; never imagined that Rinoa, of all the people she thought knew, could have a baby at her age. It was actually the first time the young dark haired girl opened up to her. With Selphie suspended along with Zell, Quistis was the only person left for her to confide to.   
  
"I wanted you to know, Quistis," Rinoa whispered. She placed a hand over hers and smiled. "I just need to talk to someone about this."  
  
Quistis gave the back of her hand a soft pat before saying, "You can talk to me about anything, Rinoa. But what I want to know is… Where's Squall now?"  
  
Rinoa shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen him for weeks. The social worker came again about a few days ago, inspecting some more of Diana's living conditions. Oh Quistis…" She laid her head down on the table and quietly began to weep. "I'm scared that I would lose her forever! I love my daughter!"  
  
The blond placed a hand on her shoulder and sighed. "Rinoa, you don't need to worry about this. I thought you said you had faith in Squall? He said he was going to help you and he will!"  
  
Rinoa sniffed, looking up. "I do have faith in him! But…sometimes I have my doubts…"  
  
"Then what kind of faith is that if you have doubts?  
  
Quistis asked, blue eyes meeting chocolate brown ones. To be honest, she wasn't sure what she was saying. Much like Rinoa, she doubted the fact that Squall would have the power to help her keep her baby. Indeed, he was the Mayor's son, but that was all. Squall Leonhart was just a high school boy, hoping to be a Senator one day from what Rinoa told her. He wasn't the Mayor… his father was. It should also be considered that Squall and his father wasn't on speaking terms at the moment, so it makes the situation a lot more complicated to handle. However, there was no point in making Rinoa lose all her hopes on Squall. It was just downright mean to do and insensitive.   
  
"Look at me, telling all of my problems, when you probably have problems of your own…" Rinoa said, wiping the tears from her eyes. That gesture received attention from some of the students walking by their spot in the cafeteria.   
  
Quistis was surprised. Did she know about her problems? "Oh…no I don't, I'm fine…" She wasn't ready to tell anyone yet. Then again, she was pretty obvious with it, since she had a bandage over top of her cut lip.  
  
Rinoa frowned. "Don't lie to me. I mean I know we haven't hung out at all or talked at all, but for some reason this day seems different. This is the perfect time to share each other's problems."  
  
The blond turned away. She didn't really want to share any of her problems towards the girl whom she barely knew. Selphie doesn't even know about her problems and the only person who knew about it was Seifer. However, Quistis feels quite guilty for ignoring Rinoa with her problems all this time. For some reason though, she felt more content talking about her problems with Seifer than anyone else. "I really don't feel like talking about it right now."  
  
The dark haired girl looked disappointed, but she shrugged and decided that she couldn't force Quistis to share all her problems to her. She couldn't blame her. They weren't that close anyway. Rinoa decided to change the subject to let go of the awkwardness that was beginning to surround the two. "Hey that reminds me, are you going to the Snowflake Dance coming up in two weeks? I'm going!"  
  
Quistis was taken aback my Rinoa's strange, sudden question. "Um…well… I don't know."  
  
"Come on! Go! It'll be fun! Having a good time relieves stress you know!"  
  
"Who said that?"  
  
Rinoa shrugged. "Dunno, but I know it's going to be fun! We can go shopping for dresses this coming weekend! How about it?"  
  
The blond rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Well, I'm not sure because… I don't have a date."  
  
"That's easy! Just say yes to the first guy who asks you to the dance!"  
  
"What? That's not easy!" She blushed at the thought of a cute guy asking her to the dance. "No guy would ever ask me!"   
  
Rinoa laughed. "Are you blind? Haven't you seen the guys in math class who look at you every time you enter the room?"  
  
Quistis blushed even more. "That's because of what I look like…"  
  
"Exactly! You're an attractive girl Quistis and ALL the guys wish they could be with you! I've heard them whisper to their friends that one of them might ask you out on a date!"  
  
"Me? Date?" Honestly, she hasn't been on a date and if this guy whom Rinoa mentioned were to ask her out, she wouldn't know to respond. "I don't think so…"  
  
"But I think they're scared to do it because they see you hang out with Seifer a lot." Rinoa looked up and grinned. "Say…are you and Seifer dating? 'Cause if you are, it would save a whole lot of trouble asking every guy to take you to the dance!"  
  
Quistis' eyes widened in shock. She turned away nervously, trying to avoid anymore eye contact with Rinoa. "No, we're not dating! Where did you get an idea like that?"  
  
Rinoa shrugged. "Well, because you seem to hang out with Seifer a lot, so I assumed-"  
  
"Don't assume things that you don't know the truth of!" Quistis interrupted, startling the dark haired girl. She stood up and closed her eyes in frustration. "I think I'm gonna go. I have to study…" Without giving Rinoa a chance to reply, she turned and left. Yes, Rinoa was pretty, but she had a loose screw in her head. Angrily, she stomped down the hall for her locker. She was getting even more frustrated when some girls stared at her and giggled. She could hear them whisper Seifer's name, along with her name and every time they did, they would start to giggle. Quistis frowned, shaking the images of the girls away from her head. Why would they think such a thing? Of course they weren't dating! Besides, they had NOTHING in common! Seifer prided himself in getting into trouble, while Quistis studied and followed the rules of the school. He was too arrogant, too stubborn- too high strung too… All of a sudden, her thoughts were now on Seifer Almasy. "Stupid!" she mumbled, shaking off the thoughts of him.   
  
"Who is stupid?" a voice spoke.  
  
Startled Quistis swiftly turned to look at the source of the voice and was shocked to find Seifer standing there. "Seifer! What are you doing here?"  
  
The blond smirked. "Did you forget already? You told me to come meet you at your locker at this time so we can go over the test questions for math…"   
  
"Oh…right…"   
  
"You don't look happy to see me," Seifer said, folding his arms across his chest. He leaned against the locker next to Quistis. "Oh yes, I know why… Because people think we're dating is that it?"  
  
"How…?" She turned away, opening her locker again to put all her books inside. "How did you know?"  
  
"I'm not deaf… Everyone here seems to want attention so they make their conversations loud enough to make the rumors come true!" he spoke louder as a bunch of girls walked pass them.   
  
Quistis sighed. "You're right… I mean, why worry? We're not dating!" It was pointless to get mad over something that was just a rumor. Besides, only Seifer and herself knew that it wasn't true, so why should she let herself worry about this?   
  
The male blond nodded, unfolding his arms. "And we have nothing in common either! You're too much of a goodie goodie girl anyway!"  
  
"And you're too much of an arrogant jerk!" Quistis replied back.  
  
They stared at each other for a while, until Quistis cleared her throat. She closed her locker and turned around to face him. "Well, like I said, I have a free block today so I can help you study for the exam."  
  
Seifer rolled his eyes. "Yippee…" he said sarcastically, pretending to twirl his finger in the air. What just happened there? Did they just click? What the hell? Ah, crap! He was blushing! Damn! He turned around and frowned, rubbing his hand against his cheek to get rid of the blush. "Anyway, let's get going! I wanna get this over with!"  
  
Quistis sighed. Her cheeks suddenly began to redden. What on earth? Why was she blushing? Her heart was suddenly pounding. No way! She clutched her books tighter against her chest and shook her head. No, it's probably the heater in the hall… It was TOO hot! But then again…the heater wasn't on. So what happened the other day wasn't just a fluke that she felt 'something' towards Seifer. She really DID feel something for him.  
  
"HEY!" Quistis looked up. Seifer was already waiting by the door impatiently, his arms as usual, folded across his chest. "Can you walk any slower because I think the snail is beating you!"  
  
"Ah! Coming!" She picked up her feet and joined him. "Sorry, I was just thinking."  
  
Seifer lifted up a single eyebrow and looked at her. He noticed the band aid over the corner of her mouth, but chose not to say anything. "Thinking eh? Well, I'm not surprised. You think far too much!" He turned and stepped inside the room.  
  
Quistis sighed and followed him inside, closing the door behind her. "Well it doesn't hurt to do that!"  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Wow, so it's FINALLY confirmed on this chapter that Quistis DOES have feelings for Seifer, even after what happened the other day! Does Seifer feel the same way for her? I think so! How long will these two confess their feelings for each other? Hm…. o.O And where's Squall? Stay tuned! ;) 


	22. Where's Squall?

Note: Hi everyone! OMG! Thank you sooo much for all your reviews, I really appreciate it! You guys are just the greatest! I hope after this fic that you will all continue to support me on my next 'M' series! This chapter will reveal all about the whereabouts of our dearly devoted Squall. Oh yes and Edea is here! _ She happens to be Raine's sister! Interesting, eh? ;)  
  
  
  
Chapter 22 – Where's Squall?  
  
  
  
There are many things in life that he truly cared about... School, grades, friends and Rinoa, Rinoa, Rinoa. He remembered, the first time they met, Squall knew there was just something in the girl that made him change. He didn't know HOW he changed, but he somehow did. He felt happier- confident about his life (except of course towards his father). He would do anything for her… even taking a plane ride to Washington, D.C. and abandoning his family back home. He knew 'he' would be there, living a happy, normal life with his family, with a deep, dark secret hidden from his wife. This man, who slept with a fifteen year old girl and impregnated her; no one knew his name, except for Rinoa's trusted friend and mother-figure, Patti. That's how he knew to head on to Washington, D.C. and face him once and for all and fix this problem. Ian Adamms, the man with a good job, a nice house, a beautiful family, was in for a surprise of his life.   
  
Squall stood, trying to figure out what to say, before knocking on the beautiful Victorian home's antique door. He had to wait a couple of seconds, before a Mexican middle-aged woman, dressed in a maid's uniform answered it. "May I help you?" she asked.  
  
He cleared his throat and as clear as possible said, "May I please speak with Ian Adamms?"  
  
The woman looked at him suspiciously. "And whom may I ask wishes to speak with him?" she asked with an accent.  
  
Squall took a deep breath. "My name is Squall Leonhart and I'm a friend….of his… I'm an old friend…" When he noticed her look, he cleared his throat and added, "We go way back."  
  
"Who is it, Rosario?" another woman's voice spoke. A figure revealed herself from behind the maid. She was a thirty something year old red and curly haired woman dressed in casual clothes. "May I help you?" she asked when she noticed Squall standing there.  
  
"My name is Squall Leonhart. I wish to speak with your husband Mrs. Adamms…" He sounded formal, more like some kind of cop doing an investigative research.   
  
The woman seemed to have an impression that he was, when she asked, "What has my husband done now?" That question surprised Squall a whole lot. So he DID sound like a police officer.   
  
"Um…" He shook his head, eager to let her know that he wasn't a cop after all. Besides, he was far too young to be playing 'cop.' "I am not a cop, Mrs. Adamms. I just need to speak with him about something. Is he here?"  
  
"There's no need to be formal here, young man. I'm not the Queen of England. Call me Bridgette. And Ian isn't here right now. He is away on business trip…" When she noticed the disappointment on his face, she added, "He'll be back in a week."  
  
Squall nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well then, I'll be back in a week to meet with him." He put the other strap on his other shoulder and adjusted both of them on his back. "Have a good afternoon, Mrs…. Bridgette."  
  
"Wait…" Squall stopped at the sound of the woman's voice and turned around. She took a step forward down the stairs and looked at him curiously. "Where are you from?"  
  
"I'm from Seattle, Washington," he replied.  
  
Bridgette folded her arms across her chest, and then casually lifted up a single eyebrow. "Seattle, eh? I never thought someone like you would travel all the way here just for something small."  
  
Squall shook his head. "It's not something small. And I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, Mrs. Adamms."  
  
The last words threw Bridgette off guard. "What?"  
  
Squall nodded again. "I better go. I have already interfered with your day. I'll come back in a week." With that said, he turned and left.  
  
Bridgette watched the young man leave. "Who was that, madam?" her maid asked. The younger woman sighed and closed the door. Without answering Rosario's answer, she walked to the kitchen and said, "Rosario, could you please dial my husband's work number?"  
  
Though confused, Rosario obeyed. "Yes madam."  
  
  
  
**********************  
  
Night time was finally approaching. The stars have been brighter these last few nights and the winter chills finally reached Seattle. The fireplace had to be turned on, because it has been VERY cold in these last few days. This week has been horrible, but Laguna managed to squirm through it all okay without having to take another stress pill.   
  
"Yes, I'll get to that." He stopped to listen to the other line. "Yes, of course! I understand that we need to fix the sewers, but the workers are on their holiday break right now. I will make sure to inform them on the situation." Sighing, he put the phone back down on its receiver and leaned back on his leather chair. Laguna rubbed his temples gently and tried to remove his thoughts from the stressful week, but the calm wouldn't come.   
  
Suddenly, he heard the door open, but Laguna did not look up. "Who is it? I need to finish my work." The footsteps were getting nearer, telling him that whoever was in there with him now was not cooperating. "I said…!" Irritated, he slammed his hand down on the table and jerked his head up, only to find his wife standing there with fear in her eyes, holding a piece of paper in her hands. "Raine? What-?"  
  
Raine put the paper down on the table, her fear and sadness never leaving her. "Squall…he's gone…"  
  
"What do you mean he's gone?" He picked up the paper and unfolded it slowly. The moment he saw the note, he immediately recognized Squall's neat handwriting. No matter how large his hands were and how rough because of having to fix his car every time it was broken down, his handwriting were that of a real writer. Inside, the note read:  
  
Dear Mother, I have gone to Washington, D.C. to speak with someone very important. It's a very personal matter that I alone need to fix. Please don't worry. I still remember where Aunt Edea lives. I'll be back right after I'm done. Love Squall.  
  
"And he was six when we visited my sister," Raine added.  
  
He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to think. All he knew that if he ignored his son's request again, his son would never speak to him. A few days ago, when Squall approached him, asking him to help Rinoa, Laguna paid no heed in the matter. His son's outburst of words directed towards him played over and over in his head until it really made him see that Squall was crying out for happiness.   
  
Laguna stared at his writing a couple of times and the meaning of the note, before looking up eagerly at his wife. He stood up and turned around to grab his leather jacket hanging on the coat rack beside the closet. "Raine, don't answer any of the phone calls right now."  
  
"Where are you going?" Raine asked, confused at her husband's sudden behavior. She watched as Laguna gave her a peck on the lips, before heading for the door.   
  
"D.C." was all Laguna's answer before leaving the room for good. Raine stood there, bewildered, speechless beyond words and rather confused about what had just happened. She ran to the window, removed the blinds and looked out to see that the car Laguna only drives on occasion, the Mini- was moving from the driveway. When it reached the end of the driveway, it made a sharp turn and sped off away from the mansion.   
  
  
  
***************  
  
What was he doing here? It was getting dark now. He's been walking for hours, trying to remember exactly where his Aunt's house was. It's been eleven years since he's been in D.C. Although he remembered the quiet streets and the chilling night air, Squall had no memory whatsoever on the famous places of this city. Nor Edea Kramer's house address, or number or… He turned a street corner and continued to look around for any signs that would bring back his memory. Suddenly, Squall stopped in his tracks. It seemed that luck was on his side when he noticed, just ahead of him, a very familiar middle aged woman, carrying two large bags of groceries, walking towards his way. Squall approached her and nodded. "Hello, Auntie," he spoke.  
  
Edea gasped in surprise when she heard that voice, almost dropping the groceries on the floor. "What the-?" She looked up and noticed a very familiar young man standing there, with his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. "Who are…?"  
  
"Don't you remember me, Auntie?" he asked.  
  
The dark haired woman thought for a minute, and then her eyes suddenly lit with familiarity. "Squall!? Squall Leonhart????" Shocked, her hands slip from around the groceries, but Squall, with his fast reflexes, quickly caught both of them in his arms and sighed, giving back the groceries to his Aunt.   
  
"Yes it's me, Auntie."  
  
Edea looked at him up and down. "MY! I haven't seen you in ages! Look at you! You're all grown up and handsome too! You have your mother's eyes, but you look SOOO much like your father!"  
  
Squall grimaced at the mention of his father. Annoyed, he turned away. "I'm not father…"  
  
The dark haired woman pursed her lips together. She had forgotten about the very bumpy relationship between Squall and his father. Four years ago, when Squall hit high school and when Laguna became Mayor of the town, Raine suddenly called her and told her about the sudden change in Squall and Laguna's relationship. According to Raine, their fight wasn't about yelling or hitting, it was more like a quiet, no eye contact type…ones that was usually involved when a husband and a wife argues. Although this was different; it was involving a father and a son. "What brings you here?" she finally asked, after a moment of dead silence.  
  
Squall seemed relieved when Edea changed the subject. "I am here on a personal matter which I can't tell you right now."  
  
Edea smiled, adjusting the bags in her arms. "That's understandable. I can't force you to tell me." She began walking down the street with Squall by her side. "So you came all the way here by yourself and you don't even have a place to stay?"  
  
"How did you know?"   
  
His auntie looked at him and smiled again. "Well it seems you were trying to find my house. I understand that because you haven't been here for eleven years and you were just six years old!"  
  
"That's why I'm glad that I bumped into you. I need a place to stay, that's all and it's only for a week. The man I need to speak to is away on a business trip and he won't be back for a week." Suddenly, Squall was revealing to his aunt his real intentions on being in D.C.   
  
"A man?" What Squall said really hit the curiosity in his Aunt.  
  
So…Squall had no choice. Sighing, he said, "All right, I'll tell you everything when we get to your house. Let me help you with that." He grabbed one of the grocery bags and followed his Aunt down the street.   
  
  
  
**************  
  
"Thank you, Squall. I really appreciate your help," Edea said when they reached the front porch. She reached inside her pocket and took out her house keys and inserted the right key into the lock. When it was fully inside, she twisted the door open, revealing a very dark and empty house.   
  
Squall followed his Aunt inside and looked around. "Why is it so quiet? Where are Jason and Uncle Cid?" He joined his Aunt in the kitchen and put the grocery bag he carried on the counter beside the other.   
  
Edea began taking out some of the items from the bag and putting them on the counter. "They went away on a camping trip with his coworker and his son." She handed Squall a tomato can. "Could you be a dear and help me put these cans inside that cupboard over there?" She nodded her head towards a cabinet, a third down to her left in the corner.   
  
Squall obeyed, picking up two at a time of the cans and putting them inside the almost empty cupboard. When she mentioned Jason and his Uncle spending time together as father and son, he felt a pang of jealousy. "I see…So Uncle Cid and Jason are close?" He didn't want to look his Aunt in the eyes because he was afraid that she would see the jealousy written all over his face.  
  
Edea looked up, noticing now the tense muscles that formed on his shoulders. "Yes, they are," she replied, curiously staring at his back. "Squall, why don't you sit down here for a minute and we'll talk. Something is bothering you…"  
  
The young brunette looked at her, surprised. "What about the cans?"  
  
His Aunt shook her head. "They can wait. Come sit down." She patted a seat right next to her. Reluctantly, Squall sat down on the chair and nervously looked around in order to keep his eyes from looking into hers. "Squall, please look at me. I know we haven't talked for a while, but when you were young, you used to tell me a whole bunch of things about what's been happening at your school and who your friends were…what happened?"  
  
Squall thought for a moment and then nodded. He remembered he and his Aunt were very close, even at a tender age of six. The little boy, who spoke rarely about anything to anyone, especially to his mother, was suddenly talking when he came to visit his Aunt, Uncle and cousin in Washington, D.C. Edea had some kind of special 'power' that makes people want to share with her. It must be because Edea Kramer had the face of someone you could REALLY trust. Not that his parents weren't trustful. But she had the power to make people want to tell her their secrets. "I guess I'm all grown up," was Squall's reply after a moment of silence.  
  
Edea laughed. "Yes, that must be it. Being a teenager is very difficult. Jason used to be like that too, but ever since he graduated from University, he decided to have bonding time with his father so he took him to a camping trip."  
  
"Jason did?" Squall asked, surprised.  
  
His Aunt nodded. "Yes. It was actually Jason's idea." When she noticed his disappointed look, Edea cleared her throat and smiled, placing a hand on top of his. "Squall, I know that it's very rough between you and your father…believe me, Cid and Jason had it rough too, but in time, you will be able to understand one another."  
  
Squall turned away, removing his hand from underneath hers. "What's there to understand? He's just too busy to spend time with his family."  
  
"Don't be selfish, Squall," Edea replied. Shocked to hear her say that, Squall looked back at her, his eyes widening in surprise. "I know that you're longing for his attention, but do you have any idea how long he's been working to be where he is now? If your mother understands that, why can't you?"  
  
That hit a bone in Squall's heart. Was he being selfish all this time? No… What about Cloud? He needs a father to be there to help him with his homework, not his big brother. He needs a father to teach him about girls, not Squall who has a girlfriend with a baby from someone else. He doesn't need a seventeen year old who is just trying to figure out his place in the world. He needs a grown up man who has seen it all from the very beginning. "Why are you calling me selfish? What about Cloud? This is all about Cloud…"  
  
Edea lifted up a single eyebrow. "Is it?" She leaned back on her chair and sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "Squall, let me tell you a story about the time before your mother and father met…" But she stopped when Squall wasn't listening.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard this before," Squall replied, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't want to hear it again."  
  
"So I guess your mother's told you already about how your father grew up in a terrible life? How he was beaten almost everyday by his father? How his father used to tell him that he was a mistake to begin with?"  
  
That got Squall's attention. "What?"  
  
Edea unfolded her arms and rested them on her side. "Your father worked very hard in high school, so he could graduate and move out of his house. That was his dream at the time so he didn't have to see his father everyday. He was a very smart boy and when he just turned eighteen, he left the house and moved here in Seattle where he met your mother."  
  
Squall looked away once more. He stood up and turned around. "I'm quite tired. Where can I sleep?"  
  
Edea nodded. "You can sleep in Jason's old room, just down the hall to your right."  
  
"Thanks," Squall mumbled, leaving the kitchen quickly to get rid of the awkwardness between him and his Aunt. He didn't need to hear it. He couldn't stand the thought of feeling sorry for his father. Was he supposed to feel sorry? What does that have to do with him? Or Cloud? With those questions running in his head, Squall closed the door behind him and plopped down on the daybed arranged at the far end of the wall. The window was just opposite of the bed where he could see the moonlight shining down through the window on top of a tall table covered in white sheets. It was an eerie room now, not exactly the room he remembered playing in with Jason. But it was still a room, nonetheless. There was still a bed he can sleep on and a nice comfy pillow. He closed his eyes and decided to dream about Rinoa carrying her baby, a wide smile on her face. Her happiness was the only thing that mattered to him and if they ended up not being together, then he wouldn't mind. She would be with Diana, the only person in her life who is more important to her. Even though he felt the sadness creeping up inside him, Squall pushed it away and decided that it was no longer in his personality to be selfish.  
  
He was just about to completely let sleep drown him, when he heard the phone ring from the kitchen. He could hear Edea's footsteps as she went to answer the phone. "Hello?" he heard her say.   
  
  
  
***Edea's POV***  
  
"Hello?" she answered. She could hear silence on the other line, until she heard a buzz, followed by a deep, urgent voice.  
  
"Edea? Edea, this is Laguna," the voice replied. "Is Squall there?"  
  
Edea nodded as if he was there standing in front of her. "Yes, he is. He went to bed now. He's fine."  
  
"So he remembered where you lived?"  
  
"Yes, he did," she lied. There was no reason for him to worry now.   
  
"Good, I'm on my way there. I'm just catching up a taxi from the airport," he replied. In the background, Edea could hear loud noises of cars honking and people talking. For a while, there was another silence on the other line, when she suddenly heard a whistle in the background, followed by, "Taxi!"  
  
"You're on your way here now?" Edea asked. She could hear a car door closing, telling her that a taxi stopped for him.   
  
"Yes, I am," Laguna replied. "I'll be there in forty-five minutes…that is if the traffic moves…" She could hear the irritation in his voice. There was another pause, followed by a long, deep sigh. "How is Squall?"  
  
"He's doing fine," Edea retorted.   
  
"Good…good…I'll hang up now. I'll see you soon." Without giving Edea a chance to reply, he hung up the phone, but it didn't bother Edea at all. Edea and Laguna don't talk to each other that much. It wasn't because they disliked each other, it was the fact that Laguna was always away on a political meeting somewhere in one of the farther cities and wouldn't come home until early the next day. Then again, she wasn't his sister. She was Raine's sister and sisters bond more than a sister-in law and a brother-in law. Edea put the phone back in the receiver and sighed, sitting back down on the chair in the dining room. When she looked up, she was startled to find Squall standing there, his arms folded and his back resting on the cool white wall of the hallway.   
  
"Was that him?" he suddenly asked.  
  
Edea nodded. "He's on his way here now."  
  
Squall didn't look at her instead he unfolded his arms and said, "Whatever…" before going back into his room again.  
  
GoodGurl: YES! Finally done this chappy! Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it and I hope you guys were informed about Squall's situation and about Laguna's situation…soon, there will be more tension between father and son! Stay tuned! ;) 


	23. Those Times

Note: It's almost over you guys! Yeay! I am quite excited to finish this story and get on with Millenium Day! ^^ Hope to see your reviews there! In this chapter, this basically just continues on with Zell and Selphie's childhood past…how they met, when they actually noticed each other…etc. etc.  
  
  
  
Chapter 23 – Those Times   
  
  
  
"For life…" Those were the words that echoed in Zell's head after spending that time together in the beach. He dreamt of staying that way forever, but he knew they couldn't because it was too cold and they might end up with pneumonia. A week had passed since the death of Kent and after he finally met his mother for the first time, he began to call her every day and speaking to her as if she knew her very well. He spoke about how good of a friend Kent was to him, while Naomi mentioned some wonderful things during his childhood. Sometimes, he would visit her at her house and Zell was able to see pictures of a six year old Kent taking a bath, surrounded by plastic toy boats and a rubber ducky. Every time Zell would go there, he felt like he was home again. When his parents were alive, he had received the same treatment that Kent had with his mother.  
  
He missed that feeling…   
  
That particular morning, however, Zell decided to bring Selphie to Kent's house and introduce her to Naomi. But in that same particular morning, Selphie woke him up a bit too early. Maybe it was the fact that Selphie was excited to finally meet Naomi (she's been eager to meet her for some reason). The bouncy brunette came into his room unannounced and opened the curtains to reveal a bright, sunshine, despite the weather being too cold. Zell, being a 'morning' person he was, moaned and turned over to the other side to keep the sun away from his eyes.   
  
"Rise and shine, Sleepy Head!" Selphie spoke out, shaking his shoulders, but instead of waking up he covered his blanket far over his head. "Hey! Come on! I thought we were going to meet Naomi?"   
  
Zell removed the blanket from his head and looked at her. "Are you crazy!?" He turned his head towards the clock on his bedside table. "It's six o'clock in the morning! I visit her in the afternoon! Come back when it's three or something…Good night…" He mumbled, covering his eyes again with the blanket.  
  
Selphie sighed, pulling the blanket away from him. "It's morning, Zell! And did you forget that later in the afternoon, you have a meeting?"  
  
The blond looked at her strangely. "Meeting for what?"  
  
"Rehab!" the brunette replied.  
  
"What!?" He was shocked. What the heck was she talking about?  
  
"I booked you a meeting time for the rehab center down in Brempton. It starts at four o'clock, so that's why we can't visit her before then. We should visit her now so we can have time to get there. Come on! Get up!" She grabbed his arm and forced him to sit up.  
  
Zell continued to glare at her. "You booked me a rehab meeting time? Why did you do that?"  
  
Selphie frowned. "You asked me to help you so I did…"  
  
The blond noticed the look she was giving him. Sighing, he sat up finally and nodded. "All right, all right, let's go." Zell walked over to the bathroom to brush his teeth.  
  
"Great!" She began to fix his bed and when she was done, she sat down properly on the bed and watched as he began his way back into his room. He was suddenly shocked to see her there. "What?" Selphie asked, curiously.  
  
Zell looked at her, then turned away, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Well um… I need to change so…"  
  
Selphie suddenly blushed. "OH! Right! Um…sorry!" She stood up, apologized again and quickly left the room, closing the door behind her. They haven't officially started going out yet, however, they both confirmed that they WERE girlfriend and boyfriend. She was just waiting for the right moment for him to ask her, but he hasn't done that. Maybe he was waiting for her to do it?   
  
After a few minutes, she heard the door open. Zell had changed into a navy turtle necked sweater and baggy jeans. She looked at him from head to toe. He really did look good in a blue navy color. "Boy, you're looking nice for just a visit with Naomi!" She giggled when she saw him blush.  
  
Zell cleared his throat and absent-mindedly began picking out invisible lint from his sweater. "Well, I have to be presentable," was his answer.  
  
Selphie giggled again. "You're so cute, Zell!" she said, linking arms with him. She wanted to mention about the date they were planning on going to, but decided against it.   
  
"Hey Selphie…"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks for setting that appointment up for me," the blond said. He cleared his throat again. "And I was also thinking that maybe after that, we can go out to dinner for our first date…How about it?"  
  
Selphie was happy. She smiled and nodded. "That'd be great! But after your meeting, I need to change into something nice for the date."  
  
Zell lifted up an eyebrow curiously. "Why?"  
  
The girl shrugged. "Well, because it would be awkward for me to wear something like this yellow floral shirt and the long black pants and my hair….!" She paused when Zell placed a hand on her head. "What?"  
  
The blond shook his head and smiled. "You don't need to do all that for me… You're fine the way you are. Besides…" He put his hand down and kept the smile on his face. "I like that shirt."  
  
Selphie smiled back. "Oh well, if you like it, then I guess I'll wear it!"  
  
"Good! And you don't need to fix your hair…" He began playing with her brown locks and he suddenly laughed. "I like it bouncy! It reminds me of you!"  
  
"What?" She looked at her hair and began whipping her head right and left wondering what was so 'bouncy' about it? "Is it really THAT bouncy?"  
  
Zell nodded. "Yep! It has full of energy! Just like you!" He touched the tip of her nose with his right pointer finger and grabbed her hand. He both grabbed their jackets hanging from the coat rack near the front door and handed Selphie hers.   
  
Suddenly…He wasn't tired anymore.  
  
He put his coat on, while Selphie put on hers. Zell dragged her out of the house and they began their journey down the driveway. His car waited for them by the sidewalk, but as soon as they neared it, Zell suddenly turned around and began walking away from the car. Selphie looked up at him curiously. "We're not taking the car?" she asked.  
  
The blond shook his head. "Nope. It's too nice of a day to be driving in the car. Besides…I haven't walked around this neighborhood since we were kids." The hand that was intertwined along with Selphie's, began to swing back and forth.   
  
They traveled in the neighborhood. Zell greeted some neighbors who were already awake in the early morning to get ready for work. They watched cars go by, waving at them, pretending as if they knew them. Selphie stopped in front of a house to pet Mrs. Hatcher's Daschund dog, sitting outside the porch. Mrs. Hatcher had a little seven year old girl whom Selphie often babysat whenever the widowed mother was away. Their journey eventually led them down the road, pass some houses and towards a small park that they played in when they were both six years old. When they arrived, the first person to recognize the park was Selphie. "OH!" Excitedly, she ran to the monkey bars and began playing, as if she was six again.   
  
Zell watched her. The way she hung on the monkey bars, moving from one bar to the other with her lithe hands, made her look like she had wings. Like an angel. When they turned fifteen, as soon as Selphie began climbing the monkey bars again, even after eight years, as usual, he sat on the swings beside the monkey bars and watched her move. His eyes followed her swing back and forth, even hanging upside down with her legs curled up around the bars. She swung and lifted herself up all the way on top and she smiled with satisfaction when she realized that she had made it at the top. That was the first time that Zell actually noticed her. It seemed like she was floating on air. He could actually see wings sprouting out from her back and she flew so high in the sky and landed on top of the clouds. When she looked down, it seemed she was looking down on earth from heaven, watching him with a bright smile.   
  
"Zell?"   
  
The blond blinked and looked up. Selphie was looking at him curiously. "Huh?"  
  
She suddenly smiled. "Why did you bring me here?"  
  
Zell shrugged. "I thought we should look back at our childhood and think about what led to this…"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Selphie, despite her energy and happiness, was quite naïve. "Well um…" He rubbed the back of his neck again. "Well for me, I thought I'd try to remember the first time how I fell in love with you."  
  
Surprised, Selphie stared at him, eager for him to continue. "And do you remember anything?"  
  
The blond nodded. "Most definitely," he replied, smiling. He stuffed his hands in his pocket and walked over to the swings. He sat down in the middle swing, the spot where he usually sat and began to swing. He was silent for a moment, while Selphie patiently waited, until he continued. "When you were on the monkey bars, that's when I realized how passionate you were in whatever you do. That's when I realized that I was in love with you. What about you?" He looked up and stared intently into her green eyes.  
  
Selphie blushed and turned away. "Um…well…I don't think I should tell you this."  
  
Zell frowned. "Why not?"  
  
The young brunette looked back at him and noticed the disappointment on his face. "Well…" She bit her lip nervously and said, "It's just too embarrassing. How about I take you to that place this time?"  
  
Zell nodded. "Sure."  
  
"Great!" With a smile on her face, Selphie landed expertly on the ground and grabbed Zell's hand. "I remember that place…I hope you do too!" She took him away from the park and back up the street once again.  
  
When they arrived, Zell found himself standing in front of the football field. For Zell, it felt really odd to be back in the field after three weeks of suspension. Another week and he would be back in class, but not in football. He stood there, remembering the first time he kicked the ball for a touchdown. That kick led the Balamb team into the Regional Championships and Zell was later praised as Balamb football's 'Player Of the Month.'   
  
"You're remembering it, don't you?" Selphie suddenly said. Zell looked up and noticed her standing there with her hands behind her back, smiling at him. She looked down and began playing with the ground with her foot. "When I first saw you kick that ball with so much power and so much courage, that's when I knew…" She approached him and took the good hand in her hands.   
  
Zell looked down at their hands intertwined once again. "That was the time?"  
  
Selphie nodded. "I know…stupid huh? I know that many girls would have felt that way, but for me, personally, I knew that I was in love with you."  
  
The blond shook his head and smiled. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for an embrace. "It's not stupid…" he whispered in her ear.  
  
Selphie smiled and closed her eyes. She wanted to stay in his arms forever and be in his scent for the rest of her life. "You miss it, don't you?" she suddenly asked.  
  
Zell pulled away and looked at her. "Miss what?"  
  
"Football," she replied. "When we got here, you were remembering practicing for football every Saturday."  
  
"Sometimes I do, but sometimes I feel like there's a reason that I can't play anymore," Zell said. He walked pass Selphie and looked out into the field. Up ahead, he noticed two kids passing a football to each other. "Maybe it's a sign that I should spend my time with you and spend my time into studies." The blond looked at her and smiled.  
  
Selphie felt warmth when he said those words, but she knew he was lying. "Of course you can still play," she assured him. "They said you're suspended for four weeks, they didn't say anything about you not playing football forever."  
  
She was right, but Zell was still doubtful. "Well, true. But even with this arm…" He pointed out his right arm on a sling with a nod. "I can't play yet until another month."  
  
"Well then, during those months, you can continue to heal your arm and be back healthy again so you can play football," Selphie said, linking arms with him again.  
  
"Hey Mister!" a voice yelled from a distance.  
  
Zell looked up. A football was rolling down towards him and it suddenly stopped by his feet. "Mister! Could you please pass the ball?" the same voice asked. The blond noticed the same two kids he saw earlier waiting for him to pass the football. The one approaching him had short, blond hair. Zell bent down and picked up the ball with his left hand and passed it as hard as he could towards the blond boy. Caught off guard, the boy was astonished at the amazing throw, though he was able to catch it. "Woah!" The boy yelped, his eyes widening in excitement. "How did you do that!?" Surprised as well with the throw, the other boy with dark hair approached his friend. Selphie looked at him, shocked.   
  
Zell shrugged. "It takes practice kid, but sooner or later you'll be able to throw it with your good arm," he replied, winking at them. He wrapped his arm around Selphie's shoulder and led her out of the field. When they neared the parking lot, he turned to look at Selphie. "You know, that kid reminds me of myself."  
  
Selphie smiled. "Yeah, he does remind me of you," she replied, giggling.   
  
"HEY!" Startled by the call, Zell and Selphie turned around and noticed that the same blond boy was running towards them now. He stopped in front of them, giving himself time to breathe and straightened himself up. "Can you teach me how to do that?" he asked with a pleading look in his eyes.  
  
Surprised, he looked at him in silence and finally nodded. "Sure thing, kid. I'll be back to school in two weeks. Until then, meet me after school in this field."  
  
"Two weeks? Why?" the boy asked.  
  
Zell patted the boy's head. "I made some stupid decisions and I hope that you don't make the same mistake as well. What's your name?"  
  
The boy smiled. "Zane," he replied with a small voice.  
  
Zell nodded. "Well, Zane, since it's Sunday tomorrow, how about you meet me tomorrow at three o'clock…deal?"  
  
Zane's smile grew wider. "For real? Thanks uh…"  
  
The older blond winked at him. "Call me, Zell," he replied.  
  
The boy smiled again and nodded. "Okay, three o'clock!" Excitedly, he ran back to his friend in the field and continued to pass the football with him. It seemed Zane was telling his friend what he was doing on Sunday and Zell could see the disappointment in the other boy's face.   
  
Zell sighed and waved his hand in the air.  
  
"What are you doing?" Selphie asked curiously.  
  
He ignored her question and said, "Hey kid! You want me to teach you football too?" he called across the field.  
  
The dark haired boy looked up and nodded hopefully. He grinned and pointed to himself. "My name is Trent!" he replied.  
  
Zell watched as his green eyes glowed his excitement. For a moment there, he thought he saw Kent's eyes. In fact, the little boy reminded him of Kent. Watching the two boys reminded him so much of himself and Kent, except for the fact that they were much older than the two boys. Football was their favorite sport and that was how they first met…in the football field.   
  
"Zell? Is something the matter?" The blond must have been staring at the two boys playing for so long, because Selphie was looking at him worriedly.  
  
"No, nothing's wrong." He took Selphie's hand in his and began their journey down the same path they took getting to the field. They were silent for a while, maybe it was because Selphie was disappointed that Zell didn't tell her that something WAS wrong. Zell felt that, but if he told her now, the memories of that first time he started smoking pot with Kent would come back to haunt him. It was better off unsaid.   
  
They arrived a few minutes later on Penders Street as Zell led Selphie around the corner and down towards Jackson Avenue. Silence still consumed the air and still none of them would start talking. After a few more times of silence, Selphie decided to break the barrier. She took a deep breath and looked around the nice houses in the neighborhood. "This is a nice place."  
  
Zell nodded. "Yeah, it is. I like this place even more every time I go through here. You know this is where my parents met?" He stopped and pointed towards someone's backyard in front of them. "That was the backyard where my mom first saw my dad walking down the street. She was sitting on that tire swing when she was sixteen years old and my dad was just delivering some newspapers when they saw each other."  
  
Selphie listened to him talk. It must be really hard for Zell to go back down the road in the past and remember his parents who died in a car accident. However, for some reason, as she watched his face, there was no such pain or sorrow etched in his eyes. There was just peace and nothing more. He looked calm and tranquil just standing there explaining to her about his parents' past. He suddenly smiled. Startled, Selphie watched him as he turned to look at her. "Do you want to see the house where my dad lived?"  
  
"Sure," Selphie nodded, smiling.  
  
Zell squeezed her hand gently and led her further down the street and excitedly turned a corner down a quiet path towards the park. Another street appeared before them. They passed about five houses and when the sixth house appeared, they stopped right in front of its doorstep. The house was large and very beautiful with a blooming garden in the front yard. "This is it!" the blond said, after a few moments of silence. He glanced at Selphie. "What do you think?"  
  
Selphie stared at the house in awe. "It's….big!"  
  
Zell laughed. "Hah! Hah! Of course it's big! Well, when my dad lived here, it wasn't THAT big. It was quite small, but that was a long time ago and things change. I hear that a Doctor lives here now, but I wished I saw it even before it changed."  
  
"Why don't you go ask to see the place and find out how much it changed in the inside?" Selphie suggested. She squeezed his hand back and smiled.  
  
The blond looked at her and shook his head. "Nah, I think it is better off that the past is left behind. Besides, I already have my memories in my head. I only visited this house once to see my grandparents when I was three and I can't quite remember it anyway. I just thought I'd show you exactly what spot it was."  
  
Selphie nodded and smiled. "Well, I'm glad you showed it to me."  
  
Zell sighed. "Okay, well I guess we better get back to where we came from and see Naomi." He glanced at Selphie curiously. "Why do you want to see her anyway?"  
  
The brunette shrugged and linked arms with Zell. "I guess I feel guilty."  
  
"Guilty about what?" Together they walked down the right street towards the Marshall home.  
  
"That I was too angry at Kent to really get to know him in person. I guess I just want to apologize to her for being terrible towards her son."  
  
Zell wrapped his arm around her. "You weren't terrible towards him, Selphie. He did threaten you."  
  
"Yeah, but…" She was cut off when Zell pulled her in for an embrace. "Selphie, please stop worrying. It'll only add white on your hair…"  
  
Selphie pulled away and looked at him curiously. "What is that suppose to mean?"  
  
He laughed and took a strand of hair from her head in between his fingers and showed it to her. "See? This is white hair for being worried all the time!" he teased.  
  
The young brunette frowned. "That's not funny!"  
  
He gently pulled the strand of hair and began dancing around with it. "Hah! Hah! Selphie's getting old!"  
  
"Hey! Stop that!" she yelled. He ran and she chased. They did that for a couple of seconds, until they heard a familiar voice calling them. "This is no playground children…" someone said gently.  
  
Selphie and Zell stopped and both looked up. Naomi stood there, her eyes gentle and her lips curling into a sweet smile. Zell nervously rubbed the back of his neck, his face blushing, while Selphie looked away, digging her feet into the ground, also blushing with embarrassment. "He-he said I'm old."  
  
Naomi looked at her, then at Zell. "Did you really call her old? Why…" She glanced back at the young girl. "She looks pretty young to me! I take it you would much rather have an older girlfriend, Zell?"  
  
Zell's eyes widened in shock. "O…of course not!" he replied, shaking his head vigorously. "I mean…" Nervously, he glanced at Selphie's disappointed look. "I mean… Aww, come on Selph! You know that's not what I meant! Geez…" She must've thought he meant that he wouldn't want to be her boyfriend. He was screwed…  
  
Naomi laughed. "Now, now, Zell didn't mean what he said, Selphie. I was only teasing! Come, would you two like some tea?"  
  
Selphie suddenly smiled. "Sure!" She walked pass Zell and joined Naomi inside the house. Zell followed the two women inside, still quite confused about what happened just now. When he was inside, Selphie was already seated on a chair in the kitchen, across from where Naomi was sitting. The blond made his way into the kitchen and sat down Selphie. He was still worried that Selphie was still mad at him for the comment he made earlier, because he was still staring at her, wondering that she was thinking.  
  
The young brunette noticed this. She turned and smiled, placing a hand on top of his. "I know you didn't mean it Zell!" she assured him.   
  
Zell sighed a breath of relief, his head drooping until he felt the cold surface of the table. "Oh thank goodness…."   
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Well, that wraps it up with this chapter! Coming up for them will be…the deep relationship titled: His and Her Circumstances. To those who read Japanese graphic novels (mangas), such as Kare Kano will understand what it's going to be about! Stay tuned for Seiftis! ^^ 


	24. No One's Business

Note: Wooh! I am soo excited because I'm almost finished this story! This has been the longest story I've worked on I think. I think it was much longer even in the previous Modern Day! ^^  
  
Chapter 24 – No One's Business   
  
Everyone was preparing, wherever she went. Girls were chatting about who their date was going to be for the dance, while the guys talked about the 'cute' girls they were taking to the dance. Dresses were also part of the girls' conversations, about what color the dress were perfect for what person and who was coming over to whose house to discuss about makeup, but Quistis decided to leave before she heard anymore of it. She headed to the cafeteria, bought her usual lunch and sat down on her usual spot. This time, however, seemed different than the other days. Since Selphie and Zell weren't there to cheer her up and make her laugh, she sat all by herself, but she chose to ignore that thought. She was used to it.   
  
Quistis tightly gripped unto her sandwich to make sure the meat wouldn't fall off the flat bread and opened her lips to take a bite out of it, when the table began to shake. Startled, she looked up and noticed Rinoa who appeared out of nowhere. "QUISTIS!" she yelled, catching the attention of everyone around them. Thankfully, Rinoa quieted down and said, "Have I got the perfect dress for you!" she said, toning down her voice this time. Without giving the blond a chance to talk, she continued to tell her about the 'perfect' dress. "It really goes with your eyes and your hair. Now, I took the liberty of buying it for you because I thought I should just buy it now instead of waiting for another day to get it. So…" She took a deep breath and removed her hand from behind her back, producing a large paper bag with something inside. "Here!"  
  
The blond looked at it, confused. "What is it?"  
  
"It's the dress, silly!" Rinoa replied. She watched as Quistis took it from her hand and looked inside. "Don't worry about paying me back, because just think of it as an early Christmas present!"  
  
Quistis' eyes widened in surprise. Inside, she noticed a beautiful, dark red, strapless dress with beautiful black designs around it. She looked up, still in disbelief. "I… I don't know what to say!"  
  
Rinoa smiled. "Just say you'll wear it for the dance!" she replied.  
  
The blond shook her head, wrapped it neatly in the bag and handed it back to Rinoa. "It must have cost a lot, I can't take this…"  
  
The younger girl shook her head. "Don't worry about that, Quistis! I gave this to you because I wanted to! It's also a way of saying thank you for listening to me…" She took the blonde's hand in hers and squeezed it lightly.   
  
Quistis was really touched by the young girl's kind heart. "So, you really don't want anything in return? If you want I can buy you the right shoes for your dress…"  
  
Rinoa giggled, letting go of her friend's hands. "You don't need to do that."  
  
"Please, at least let me do this for buying the dress…"  
  
The dark haired girl sighed. "All right, if that's what you want."  
  
Quistis smiled.   
  
They were both silent for a moment, until Rinoa suddenly jumped in alarm. "Oh! I forgot! I have a counselor's meeting right now." She stood up and smiled again. "Could you tell Ms. Fisher that I'll be a little late for class?"  
  
The blond nodded. "Sure," she replied.  
  
"Thanks a lot!" Rinoa waved at Quistis, turned and left the cafeteria for the counselor's office situated on the far end of the building. Lately, Rinoa's been going to the counselor's office ever since Squall hasn't been going to school for almost two weeks now. The blond knew Rinoa was feeling lonely and was starting to feel worried for Squall. She could also tell that the dark haired girl was worried, thinking that the social services were going to take away her baby. Quistis suddenly glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall of the opposite side of where she sat and read that she still had twenty minutes left until she had to get ready for math once again. Deciding that there was no point in sitting in the cafeteria alone, eating her sandwich, she stood up, grabbed her bag and the dress and left the uneaten sandwich on the table. She made her way to the hallway and walked down to the direction of her locker at the end of the hall. Once more, she heard the same conversation from the girls and the guys as she walked pass them. Unknown to her, one of the girls in the group was Brandy McFadden, who was just joining the group. The red headed girl was watching Quistis' every move, from the time she arrived at her locker to the time she noticed the white 'Bon Marche' bag with something inside. Quistis stopped to look at the bag inside and closed it again, but as soon as she opened her locker, books came flying out.   
  
There was some snickering from around Brandy, but she was too curious about what was inside the bag. The books fell, as well as the plastic bag. The content of the plastic bag jumped out and landed neatly on the floor. From where Brandy stood, she could tell that the item inside the bag was indeed a gown of some sort. She was even more surprised that the gown seemed to look really nice and she hated to admit as well that the gown matched Quistis' look. She smirked and decided to take a closer look by 'helping' her out. Much to her friends' surprise, Brandy approached the blond, bent down to pick up some books and took the liberty to pick up the plastic bag as well. She had sharp eyes, so she was able to take a quick look if what she saw before was true. "Here you go," Brandy said, handing back the stuff to Quistis with a fake smile.   
  
Quistis looked at her curiously. "Thanks," she mumbled, taking the two books and the plastic bag from the taller girl. She watched curiously as Brandy turned and walked away, immediately followed by her 'puppy dogs.' The blond was very surprised by Brandy's behavior, but she knew that there was more to that act than just a kind gesture and she was prepared for anything. She put her stuff back in her locker and closed it again, still trying to figure out what just happened. Was Brandy really planning something? Or was she just being paranoid?  
  
Paranoid, she answered herself. Deciding that it was just that, Quistis slung her backpack on her shoulders and walked towards her math class.   
  
  
  
**********************  
  
There was no ending, except for a back and forth drama unfolding around him. Dresses, limousines, corsages, hair, makeup, girls, guys… It was as if he was trapped in their heads while he struggles to get out, trying to avoid being drowned. It was driving him completely nuts!   
  
Seifer walked down the hall, trying to block out the voices around the hallway that threatened to shadow him with their little conversations about the dance coming up. He was just turning the corner, when he heard two voices. One of them, he knew was Brandy's, but it wasn't that that forced him to stop and listen. It was the fact that he heard Quistis' name being mentioned in this conversation. He moved a little bit so he could see what was happening and noticed that Brandy and the new, handsome transfer student from France Jacque, were having a 'private' conversation, apparently, about Quistis.   
  
"So, will you do it for me, hon?" Brandy purred, wrapping her arms around Jacque. "I'm sure that with your charms, Quistis will never suspect a thing. The dance will only be one night anyway."  
  
"Good, because I do not want some blond, four-eyed freak to get in the way of my fun with my favorite person." Jacque grinned, kissing the tip of Brandy's nose. "And what will I get in return?" he asked in his thick, French accent. He moved one arm around her waist, while the other hand grabbed Brandy's and brought the back of it to his lips and kissed it.  
  
Brandy smiled seductively. "You'll get me… and…" She leaned close and whispered something so only he alone could hear, but Seifer noticed the way her lips moved. He could read what she said and he knew exactly that the one word he whispered to the French man was, 'Quistis.'   
  
Jacque's eyes widened in lust. He pulled himself apart from her and looked into her eyes to see if she was telling the truth. Brandy nodded, without having to say anything and Jacque immediately believed it. "I guess I wouldn't mind having her as well, just as long as I have my fun."   
  
Seifer felt his face go red. His mouth suddenly went dry and his hands suddenly curled into tight fists. He was just about to approach them, when the bell suddenly rang. Startled, Brandy and Jacque broke off, said their farewells with quick kisses and headed for their classes on opposite directions. Seifer quickly moved out of the way to avoid being seen by Jacque, then followed him down the hall. The blond followed the long, dark haired youth into the bathroom. He wanted to tear his eyes out, maybe even the one 'thing' he needed the most and cut it to pieces until it was no longer visible, but it was a good thing he kept his cool, because Jacque wasn't alone in the bathroom. There were other bathroom goers, taking their time in getting ready for class. Seifer had five minutes to get back to class and he wasn't about to risk being late or Ms. Fisher would have his head, so he turned and left the bathroom. There was still time to do some 'talking' with the French guy, before he decides to ask Quistis to the dance. Then again, he was ready for some good butt whipping. "Damn," he muttered, walking out of the bathroom.   
  
  
  
*******************  
  
As usual, Seifer Almasy was late, but Quistis wasn't worried. She has to get used to it after all. Ms. Fisher wasn't worried either, in fact, she seemed quite interested in how many tardies he would have until she would be required to give him long hours of detention.   
  
However, something was different with Seifer when he finally shuffled his way into class. He seemed irritable than usual, of course, but not the type of annoyance she would see in his face. It was a cross between irritation and worry. He was definitely worried about something and was irritated because of it. Quistis watched as he sat down on his usual seat, while Ms. Fisher began to talk about an exam coming up. Seifer was suddenly alarmed when she mentioned that the exam was going to be right after the dance and she warned the class not to stay up late and procrastinate.   
  
"What? An exam!? Already!?" Seifer burst out.  
  
All heads turned towards the blond, while Ms. Fisher, who didn't seem surprised by the comment, sighed and looked at him. "Seifer, you know this is the time for midterms, so you shouldn't be alarmed about this."  
  
Seifer growled and folded his arms across his chest. The percentage of his bad day doubled to ninety now and if this continues, he didn't know how long he would last. He thanked Ms. Fisher sarcastically in his head for ruining it more. Yes, he has been getting tutorials with Quistis and it was helping him a lot, but he still wasn't ready yet. There was still a lot in his mind that needed to be kept balanced and an exam wasn't going to help. The French guy's face kept popping into his head. There was the grin, the look of lust in his eyes and the thought of Quistis in the same bed with that sleaze was…  
  
BAM!!!  
  
"Mr. Almasy! What on earth!?" he heard a voice yell. Seifer looked up. Everyone was looking at him again and Ms. Fisher's face looked flustered. Confused, he looked at her.   
  
"What?" He looked down at his palm resting flat on the table. Did he just slam his hand on the table??? Seifer lifted up his hand and looked at it. It was red all right and it was confirmed that he DID slam his hand on the table. He glanced at Quistis, who was staring at him in concern, then turned his attention towards Brandy, who was grinning from head to toe. Seifer glared at her. 'Don't think I don't know what's going on,' he thought in his head.   
  
"Sorry about that, Ms. Fisher," Seifer mumbled.  
  
Ms. Fisher sighed, rubbing the top of her nose irritably. "Well, see that it doesn't happen again, Mr. Almasy." Her heart was still pounding from the noise. She took a long deep breath and began explaining what was going to be in the exam.  
  
Seifer sat there, with his arms still folded across his chest. His mouth turned into a scowl once more, his mind swirling with so much hate and anger towards Jacque and most of all, towards Brandy. "The exam will also include…" Ms. Fisher went on, but after a couple of seconds, he allowed his thoughts to shut out her words and soon, he heard nothing but the sound outside. Why was he stressing out about this whole thing? It was really none of his business… If Jacque starts hitting on her and if she starts swooning over his charms… no, that can't be right! Quistis is smarter than that…right? He has nothing to do with it anyway.   
  
"Seifer?" someone called. He looked up and noticed that everyone had gone now. Quistis was looking at him strangely. "Is something the matter?"  
  
The blond male stood up and left the room without saying a word. But Quistis followed him. "What's this? We're not talking now? Did we have a fight that I'm not aware of?"  
  
Seifer stopped walking and turned to look at her. She was staring up at him with her deep, strong-willed eyes. He could tell she was smart, so why should he worry so much? Then again… "Look, Quistis you have to believe me when I tell you…"  
  
"What is it?" she asked curiously.  
  
This was none of his business… Seifer shook his head. "That uh… I'm going to take you to the dance as a thank you for tutoring me for the past month and a half."  
  
Quistis looked at him in shock. "Really?" She blushed and turned away. "Well, if you don't want to, you don't have to. I was just planning on going with Rinoa anyway. Squall's not here and she has no idea where he is, so it's just going to be the two of us hanging out in the dance." This whole 'thank you' thing was sudden, but she was flattered and felt excited when he said that. He would actually be her date to the dance? No way!   
  
Seifer shrugged. What was he thinking? Why did he say that? He wasn't planning on going to the dance in the first place! 'I'm such an idiot!' he thought. But then again, the thought of that French bastard trying to make a move on Quistis… 'Ugggh!!!!' he yelled in his head. Quistis is not his! Why is he making a big deal out of this? It's none of his business!!! "Well all right, if you don't want me to take you to the dance, then that's fine." He shrugged again, stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to walk away.  
  
"Wait!' Quistis yelled, running after him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around. "So, you would really take me to the dance?"  
  
"If I have to take Rinoa too, I will," he replied. "I can escort both of you." Now, all he has to worry about is buying a suit or some kind of tuxedo or something or whatever the hell they wear in formal dances. He nodded, turned and left, without another word.   
  
That was weird, she thought. Quistis watched the tall blond fade into the distance. What brought on the sudden idea to take her to the dance? As far as she knew or remembered, she never mentioned anything to him about the dance. What suddenly brought this on? She felt her cheeks heating up. 'Oh great…' she thought. 'Not now.' It was not the right time to be blushing like this!   
  
  
  
******************  
  
"Mom, I'm home!" he called. He closed the door behind him. Today has been such a bad day. If only he went up to that Jacque bastard and beat the crap out of him, then he would have had a great day! But what stopped him, he may never understand. Maybe it was because he was suddenly thinking about Quistis and realized that…IT WAS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS. "Mom?" he called again. Something was weird around the house now. It was quiet, too quiet. Usually, Seifer would see his mom sitting in the kitchen, drinking or upstairs in her room making a lot of noise. That thought made him shudder.   
  
Seifer walked to the kitchen, thinking maybe she passed out somewhere on the floor, but when he didn't see her there, he decided to check the living room.   
  
Still nothing.   
  
"Mom?" he called again. "Where the hell are you?" he mumbled. He glanced up the stairs and all he could see was darkness. The light weren't on. NONE of them were on, so that concludes only one thing. "Dammit! Couldn't you at least called the house or left a message to let me know that you've gone out!?" he murmured to himself. Sighing, he went back to the kitchen and turned on the lights. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It read six o'clock and he figured his mother wouldn't be home probably until midnight or pass midnight. Seifer yawned and stretched and decided to fix himself up with homemade coffee. His mother loves his homemade coffees, so does his father. When he asked his dad if he still does, Bryan would reply with an enthusiastic tone in his voice that he still loves them. So, on the second weekend he stayed with him, Seifer made his father and his stepmother his specialty coffee. Halle loved it too and forced some of the maids to try it and everyone in the Almasy mansion was quite pleased with the drink.   
  
A loud whistling sound forced him out of his reverie. Seifer blinked and looked up. The kettle was now boiling, calling for him to finish the job. He stood up tiredly from his seat in the kitchen and headed for the counter where the kettle was and poured half a cup of the hot water in his favorite mug. It was the first mug he has ever gotten when he first started drinking coffee at the age of seventeen. The mug was of a sentimental writing about their son and by meaning, 'their' meaning the son of Lynette and Bryan Almasy. Those were the times when the Almasy family were happy. He wished for it everyday to come, but he knew it could never happen. The happiness of the Almasy family was taken by someone else. It was now surrounding Bryan Almasy's new family with little Dominique and kind Halle. Sometimes Seifer felt jealous that he couldn't get that now, but felt relieved, knowing that a little girl would have a happy life. In all honesty, he was beginning to feel attached to his new sister. It was the most wonderful feeling of all to be the big brother and to be able to protect his sister when she's old enough to date young men her age.   
  
When he finished making his specialty coffee, Seifer lifted the mug to his nose to smell the coffee and sighed. He WAS really good at this. The blond sat back down on the chair and thought about what happened at school. It was useless really. He was denying too much and he knew that if he kept denying, it would haunt him forever. These feelings he had towards Quistis. It wasn't a lie. It was the truth after all. He knew he was falling for her, but he wasn't ready, so that's why he had to deny it. Once again, he sighed deeply and thought about what he had just offered Quistis. "I'm such an idiot!" he mumbled, leaning his head down on the table. "Crap! What have I gotten myself into?"  
  
Riiiiing!  
  
Startled, Seifer lifted his head back up and jerked his head towards the phone hanging on the wall. Taking a deep breath, he stood up slowly, letting it ring one more time, before answering it. "Hello?"  
  
"Is this Seifer Almasy?"  
  
The tone of the man's voice sounded serious and Seifer had a bad feeling about this. "Yes, this is he. Who is this?"  
  
"My name is Raymond Bernhardt; I am an officer of the Seattle City police. Your mother, Lynette Almasy got into a car accident just an hour ago and she's been taken into the ER right now. Your mother-"  
  
Seifer's heart started to pound badly. "Which hospital!?"  
  
"Crenton Hospital, down highway 25-"  
  
"Yes, I know that!" he yelled, interrupting the officer once again. "I'll be there!" He hung up the phone without giving the officer a chance to reply and ran for the door. Not bothering to lock the door behind him, nor bothering to grab his trench coat, he ran out the door and into his car. He pulled out of the driveway as fast as fifty kilometers, but luckily no one was outside at that time. Most of them were probably having dinner.   
  
When he arrived at the Crenton Hospital forty minutes later, he ran to the front office and frantically asked for a Lynette Almasy. The desk nurse immediately knew who she was and pointed down the hall and said, "Room 16," she told him. "It's to your right."  
  
Seifer nodded and followed the young nurse's directions. He was quite shocked when he noticed that the room she was directed to was an operation room. He couldn't see a thing, because the back of the doctors were blocking the way. "MOM!" he yelled. One of the doctors must have heard him yell, because the door suddenly opened, but not enough so that he could push his way in. The doctor who came out was older than the rest of them and as soon as he met Seifer, he immediately knew he was the patient's son.  
  
"What's going on!? What's happening!? Is she in there!? TELL ME!" He grabbed the doctor's collar and pulled him so that they were eye to eye.  
  
The doctor calmly removed the young man's hands from his coat and looked at him with a sad expression. "I'm afraid your mother suffered severe internal damage."  
  
"What does that mean!? Is she going to be all right!?" He looked over the doctor's shoulder, but he still couldn't see anything.  
  
The doctor looked away. "There was nothing we could do. The wound was much too large for us to close and if we operated on her, it would have been more damaging to her organs. She didn't make it…"   
  
Seifer shook his head in disbelief. "No…No, that's not true! You're LYING!" he yelled, his voice hoarse and loud. "She's not dead! She's alive! I still have so much to say to her! I…I…" His head continued to shake. Seifer took a step back, then another and another. What if he woke up? What if he pinched himself and he would wake up back in his bedroom? What if he woke up and hears his mother making breakfast and his father watching television on a Sunday morning? What if the divorce was never real? What if he woke up and finds them together again? "I'm…I'm dreaming…I know I'm dreaming!"  
  
"It's not a dream, Seifer…" a voice spoke behind him. Seifer jerked his head behind him and noticed Martine sitting on a chair nearby, his left cheek bandaged and his hair all disheveled. "I was with her the moment the car hit that truck."   
  
"No, that's not true. I'm dreaming."  
  
"All this is real and you can't deny the fact that your mother is dead…" Martine stood up. "Stop thinking you're dreaming because YOU'RE NOT!"  
  
"What do you know!? You're not my father!!!! It's YOUR fault she's dead! You were with her the whole time and you couldn't even save her! She considered you her best friend! Her companion! Her-"  
  
"Lover…" Martine replied. "She wanted to tell you about me, even before you were born, but she wasn't ready yet. So…" He fished inside his coat pocket and handed him a piece of folded paper. "This is a letter to you from your mother. She planned on giving it to you in the first place, but…" He couldn't say anything more, so he stopped.  
  
Seifer looked at it. "What is it?"  
  
"A letter your mother wrote a few days ago. She didn't know how to tell you, so she wrote it on paper and maybe recite it in her head or give it to you just the way it is." When he noticed that Seifer was still confused, he continued on by saying, "It's the truth about her life and yours."  
  
"Mine?" He took the paper from Martine and looked at it. Seifer looked up and scowled at him. "What the hell is a piece of paper going to make me better!?"  
  
Martine sighed. "Just read it…" He turned and quickly left, unable to stay in the hospital any longer and remember Lynette's pale face when she was brought into the ER.   
  
The doctor, who was standing there listening silently, cleared his throat to get Seifer's attention. "Would you like to make your farewell to your mother?" he asked.  
  
The young blond looked up and blankly shook his head. "No…" he replied quietly. "I'd rather." He couldn't see her. He couldn't face her. Not when he didn't even have a chance to look at her in the eyes before he left for school. He didn't know anything until he was given this piece of paper from Martine. Slowly, he turned, stuffed the paper in his jean pocket and walked out the door awkwardly.   
  
Outside, it was pouring rain, but Seifer didn't care. The cold couldn't compare to what he was feeling now. He felt alone. He felt like no one cared about him anymore. His father had his own family to care about. His mother was gone and now… He walked straight ahead and absent mindedly decided to head for the park where he first started playing in with his parents. Leaving the car behind, he made his way to Hampton Park.   
  
He didn't care how long he walked, just as long as he could remember where it was. Seifer sat down underneath one of the trees. His hands immediately reached into his pocket for the letter, the rain pouring heavily down on him. He unfolded it and began to read the letter with his eyes vague and unfocused. Despite that, he was still able to make out the words.  
  
Dear Seifer: I didn't know how to tell you this, so I decided to write this on paper instead. Seifer, I really love you and you have been a great son. I haven't been such a good mother to you and I'm sorry. Please forgive me for that. I didn't want to disappoint you and I did. Seifer, let me tell you something about yourself and where you came from. First, let me start off by explaining to you the first time I met Martine.  
  
Seifer paused. 'Martine?' he thought. 'What does Martine have to do with this?'  
  
Now, I know you must be wondering why I mentioned Martine and it's good that you are, because all this time your father and I have been lying to you. I know that your father and I should have told you from the very beginning, but it was hard telling an unborn child, or a six year old child the truth. We tried to tell you many times, but we were scared that you wouldn't be able to understand, but I guess we were wrong to think that. The truth is Seifer your real father is Martine. You're Martine's son. He was my best friend in college, a knowledge that has been given to you already. And during that time, our friendship turned out into something more and eventually I got pregnant…with you.  
  
Seifer took a deep breath, closed his eyes and opened them back up to continue reading. He shook his head in disbelief and in anger. "So you died, wanting to hide the truth from ME!?" he yelled out loud.  
  
I told Martine the good news, but I received no reaction from him. After that, he hasn't spoken to me. I tried contacting him on his cell phone, even during my lunch break, but he wouldn't answer, or call me back. I found out later from his friends that he was gone. I was confused at first on where he had gone and then I figured out that he had left me. I was now three months pregnant at the time when I met your father. He just transferred there and he was really sweet to me. I told him about my life, even the part that I was pregnant. He just laughed and told me that he already knew and he didn't care. That's when I fell for him. I fell for his compassion and his kindness. Just two months before you were born we got married and I gave birth to you. We lived a happy life. We moved in together to a nice apartment and by the time you were a year old, we decided to buy a house. With your father's good job and wages, we were able to afford one that worked for all three of us. Well, you know the rest after that. Secretly, however, I was searching for your REAL father… Martine. I was thinking of making him suffer for leaving me behind, but when I suddenly received a phone call from him nine years ago, I began to have doubts about that idea. I realized that I was still in love with Martine. I didn't know to express this feeling towards Bryan, so I kept it quiet for five long years. It was peaceful for a while, until Martine called at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Bryan was able to talk with Martine and found out the truth from him. And after that…well, you know the whole story. I'm really sorry for lying to you. Please, Seifer even if he hasn't been there for you for nineteen years, Martine is hoping that you would consider him your father as well. I'm not asking for you to accept him right away because I know it's hard, but I'm just asking you to give him a chance to get to know you. If you're reading this right now that means I'm gone. I love you Seifer. I love you and Martine. But I just hope I can love you together, even if I'm not there. Love Mom.  
  
He sat there for a moment, reading the letter over and over again to try and make sense of it all. Seifer was too angry that his own parents would lie to him and he had to find the truth out from a piece of paper! He folded the letter, stuffed it back in his pocket and stood up. The rain was heavy now. It was pouring much harder on his head. He walked over to the swings, sat down and began to swing absent mindedly on his own. Seifer wasn't ready to go back home just yet, otherwise, he would be walking in an empty house.  
  
  
  
  
  
****************  
  
"Quistis! Could you do me a favor, honey?" Charlotte called from the kitchen as soon as the blond girl was coming down the stairs to join her Aunt and cousin for dinner. Tonight was the first night her father wasn't going to be there. And for the first time, she was relieved.   
  
"Sure! What is it, Auntie?" she asked, walking in the kitchen.  
  
Charlotte handed her a twenty dollar bill. "We ran out of eggs and I need it for the bake sale tomorrow for work. Could you go to the store and buy me a dozen?"  
  
Quistis nodded. "Okay." She took the money and stuffed it in her pocket. The blond girl turned, grabbed her jacket and the umbrella hanging at the back of the door and stepped out into the cold, wet, winter night. As soon as she stepped into the cement, she opened her umbrella and made her journey to the nearest grocery store, which was the store where Rinoa worked. She hoped that she could see her there so she could tell Rinoa about Seifer's 'offer.' She wasn't able to talk with Rinoa, even when she came late for math class, because by the time the class ended, she bolted out the door unexpectedly. Quistis turned a corner, passing few houses and decided to take the shortcut through the park. Normally, she didn't make shortcuts, but tonight was an exception. She hated the rain, so she wanted to get back home as quickly as possible. She was just about to pass the monkey bars, when she noticed a shadowed figure swinging in the swings. The figure looked male. 'Oh crap…' she thought. "Okay, Quistis, now's not the time to be scared…" she said to herself. Taking a long deep breath, she casually walked pass the swings. As soon as she was walking pass him, Quistis lifted up her eyes to see his face, but was shocked to find out that it was… She stopped walking and turned to face him. "Seifer?"  
  
Seifer looked up, his hair wet and his eyes expressionless.   
  
Quistis stepped forward towards him. "My God! What are you doing out here!? It's cold and it's raining!" She put the umbrella over them both. "What's wrong?"  
  
The blond man didn't answer, instead he fished into his pocket once more and handed her a piece of paper. "This is from my mom."  
  
She took it from him and glanced up curiously. "What is it?"  
  
"A letter…" he answered numbly. "She's dead. It was a car accident."   
  
Too shocked to answer, Quistis opened the paper and began reading it. Even under these conditions, the blond girl was able to make out the words clearly. After a couple of seconds of reading and re-reading, she looked up, her eyes full of remorse. "I'm…I'm sorry," she said quietly, handing him back the paper. She looked at his face.   
  
He looked very miserable, not like him at all. Quistis couldn't tell whether he was actually crying or whether it was the rain sticking to his face. "I couldn't even tell her I'm sorry," he said suddenly, his face downcast. "I didn't even get a chance to say I love her. This morning, all I said was 'goodbye' not 'I love you.' And she said I'm a good son, but I'm not…" He buried his face in his hands and sighed.   
  
Quistis was still unsure whether he was crying or not, but nevertheless, she moved closer and slowly wrapped her arms around him. Surprised, Seifer froze in his spot. "You ARE a good son. If you don't recognize that, then you're telling your mother she's a liar." Her hands slipped from around the umbrella and now the both of them had nothing on top of their heads to cover them from the rain.  
  
Seifer closed his eyes, feeling the cold rain pouring down on them and at the same time, Quistis' warm body pressed against him. "I couldn't tell her that I love her. I didn't even say good bye…"  
  
"She knows that you love her," Quistis replied, embracing him tighter. She closed her eyes and sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Even if you didn't say good bye to her then, you can always say good bye to her now and she can hear you. That's what I did when I couldn't say good bye to my mom."  
  
He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist. "How do you get rid of this pain? It hurts…" It was painful. He couldn't stand this feeling. He's been feeling this ever since his parents got divorced but that was nothing compared to the feeling he had now after losing his mother.   
  
"It's impossible to get rid of pain with a snap of your finger," Quistis said. "The best way is to take your time and remember all the good things you had with your mother, not the bad things. Good memories make me happier, even if I didn't get a chance to meet my mother."  
  
"If you didn't meet your mother, how did you make good memories?"  
  
Quistis smiled. "It doesn't matter if you experience good memories or not, as long as you make it good. I just see it in my head what my mother did to take care of me while I was still in her stomach. She must have sung songs to me and must have thought of a name for me every time she went to work or every time she stayed at home. Even if you don't have good memories with your mother, Seifer….you can still think that you HAVE one. Looking into the bad memories won't help you cope with this pain that you're feeling."  
  
Seifer closed his eyes. Good memories, he thought.   
  
GoodGurl: GAH! I didn't like the ending, but still ending…^^; Heh! Heh! I hope you guys liked this chapter! So sad though…*sniff* poor Seifer! But at least Quistis was there right? ;) 


	25. The First Night Out

Note: Once again I thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I am quite excited about my next story, 'Millennium' and I hope that devoted readers of this story will be all reading my new story that is coming soon! ^^   
  
  
  
Chapter 25 – The First Night Out   
  
  
  
Time seemed to have passed by quickly than the rest of his years. He opened his eyes and found himself listening to footsteps somewhere in the kitchen, followed by familiar voices.   
  
"I see you're awake," Edea spoke.  
  
There was a moment of silence, immediately followed by heavy footsteps echoing the small hallway of the house. "I couldn't sleep."  
  
Squall sighed and sat up from his makeshift bed. He quickly stood up and changed into a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans before heading for the kitchen where he found his Aunt and father sitting across from each other on the dining room table. As soon as he entered the kitchen, both adults turned to look at the young man. Laguna leaned back on his chair and frowned. "You know you shouldn't run off like that, Squall."  
  
The brunette rolled his eyes and decided to stand by the hallway. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back on the wall. "Says who?"   
  
"Your mother…" Laguna paused, and then added, "She's worried about you."  
  
Squall pushed himself off the wall and began walking towards the dining room, set himself a plate for breakfast and sat down on a chair nearest to Edea. "That figures. I mean why would you be worried about me?" He scooped up some eggs and stuffed them in his mouth. There was a moment of silence, before Squall added, "Mom probably sent you. You would never go off on your own."  
  
"Squall!" Edea said, glancing at Laguna.  
  
Laguna let his lips form into a tight frown. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at him. "And what exactly do you mean by that, young man? Are you saying I don't care about my family?"  
  
Squall looked up and stared at him straight in the eyes. "What if I am?" He knew he was saying the wrong things. He knew that Laguna cared about his family, but he was too angry to care at this point. If he hated something about his life, he blamed everyone else around him.   
  
Angrily, the young mayor slammed a hand down on the table as hard as he could to get his son's attention. He suddenly stood up and leaned down so his eyes were at the same level as Squall's. Squall sat there, unnerved. "I DO care about my family, Squall! When will you realize that I have worked long and hard to get where I am now? Do you have any idea how hard I work just to feed you, your mother and your brother? When you have a family, Squall you will understand that!" He continued to stare into his son's eyes, before turning around. Laguna began walking away, but suddenly stopped when a shooting pain sprang up from his right leg. "UGGH! Dammit!" he swore underneath his breath. He felt his body sag to the ground. Laguna clutched at his leg and gritted his teeth in pain.  
  
"Laguna!" Edea ran to his side quickly. "What on earth-!?" Squall slightly stood up from his chair, curiously wondering about his father.  
  
The aging mayor shook his head, gently pushing Edea out of the way as he tried to stand up. "It's all right, Edea. This kind of thing happens a lot."  
  
"A lot? If it happens a lot, why don't you let a Doctor see this!?" She helped him back up on his feet, but Laguna shook his head and replied, "I said I'll be fine, Edea. There's no need for you to be worried about me."  
  
Edea shook her head in disbelief. "You really ARE like your father, Squall," she said, glancing at the startled young man sitting in the kitchen. "Both of you are really stubborn."  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you!?" Squall suddenly stood up and slammed his two hands down on the table, startling both adults. "I AM NOT MY FATHER! AND I DON'T WISH TO BE!" He turned and began walking away, but not before Edea spoke her mind.  
  
"You cannot deny that fact, Squall." She watched as her nephew frowned at her answer, before walking back into the room where he slept last night. When she was sure he was gone, Edea turned her attention towards Laguna. "Where were you planning on going, Laguna? Were you planning on leaving already after coming all the way here to get your son?"  
  
Laguna didn't look at her, massaging his right leg. "You heard what he said… He doesn't want to be like me."  
  
"He may say that, but it's impossible not to be," Edea replied. She grabbed his arm again and led him back to the kitchen. "Why don't you sit down… I have something I can give you which I think will help this."  
  
"Help what?" Laguna asked, looking at the woman curiously.  
  
But his question wasn't answered. Instead, she got up, went into her room and came back a minute later holding something in her hand. Edea pulled it up close to Laguna's face so he could see what it was and nodded. "I was going to give this as a Christmas present for Cid and Jason, but I think you need this more than me. Here…" She handed the item to Laguna.  
  
Laguna took it from her hand and looked at it. "Two hockey tickets?" He looked up and stared at her confusingly.   
  
Edea nodded. "Yes. This is what I got from my work and this ticket lasts for two months, which means you can watch a hockey game any time of day for those two months."  
  
He lifted up a single eyebrow. "And?"  
  
"And I think you should take yourself and Squall to the hockey game tonight! This will give you guys a chance to bond."  
  
Laguna looked back down at the tickets, then back up at Edea again. Sighing, he handed the tickets back to the older woman. "I can't take this, Edea. It's very thoughtful that you're trying to help me and Squall get along, but I don't think a hockey game will help us bond together. He doesn't even like hockey…" He paused and added, "I don't even like hockey."  
  
Edea smiled and pushed the tickets back to him. "Well, there's something you have in common. It's all right, Laguna. I don't mind giving this to you. I think that while you guys are here for a week, that you two should spend this time together!"  
  
Laguna stared down at the tickets which found themselves back in his hands and frowned. "But…"  
  
"It's all right," Edea said, interrupting Laguna's protest. "You need this more than Cid and Jason do."  
  
  
  
  
  
******************  
  
  
  
They stared and stared, unable to comprehend what was going on around them. People started screaming when a loud beeping sound made a noise that almost damaged his ears. The players in the ice embraced each other because they had scared against the other team, while the opposing team sighed in despair.   
  
After a couple of seconds, the game resumed. One man in the blue team knocked down a player wearing the red uniform. Number 10, the man knocked down, quickly stood up, made a fuss about the whole thing and began pushing the blue uniformed man around. Then, another fight ensued.  
  
Sighing slowly, he glanced at the figure sitting beside him. He folded his arms across his chest and frowned. "Why exactly are we here?" he asked, having to yell from the noise of the crowd.  
  
Laguna glanced at his son and shrugged. "I don't know. I thought you liked hockey so I thought maybe we could watch this and bond."  
  
Squall frowned. "I don't like hockey."  
  
"Well neither do I, but this was also Edea's idea and she DID sacrifice the tickets for us," Laguna replied, making himself more comfortable on the uncomfortable seat. He glanced at his son and noticed that he now felt guilty.   
  
Squall turned to look at him. "She did?" he asked, quite surprised by his answer.   
  
Laguna nodded. "These tickets must have cost her a fortune," he said mostly to himself because Squall's ears were too plugged due to the noise in the crowd. However, the young teen knew exactly what he was saying because he was thinking the same thing.   
  
There was another loud horn that blew and suddenly many people around them all stood up and booed, hollered or just called their opposing team names. Squall and Laguna glanced at each other. "You know what… Let's go," Laguna said, standing up now.  
  
Squall was actually relieved to hear his father say that. Copying Laguna, he followed him back up the stairs to the main building and down towards the entrance of the stadium. It was until they were completely out that Laguna finally said, "I'm sure she'll understand that we had to leave the game early."  
  
The young brunette shrugged. "I think she will too."  
  
After that, they were silent. They stood there, in the cold, dark outside, wondering what the other was thinking. They were both thinking of something to say at this point. It wasn't until they heard a car in the distance, driving pass them did one of them say anything. "I'll bet you want to go Italian don't you?" Laguna asked, glancing at his son.  
  
Squall's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know that?"  
  
Laguna turned away and smiled. "I am your father Squall. I never forget these things about my family." He took a long deep breath, stuffed his hands in his jacket pocket, then turned and began walking down the street to their right. "I'll take you to the Italian restaurant that your mother and I first met in."   
  
The young brunette said nothing, instead, he followed his father towards that same street, straight a few blocks and to a small building. This building was indeed small and had the structures of an Italian look, but only with a large neon sign over the canopy saying, "Venito Restaurante." When they got there, they both stopped in front of the restaurant. Laguna stared at the building as if remembering some thing in his memories and smiled dreamily. "I was standing right in this spot, trying to figure out what to say to my blind date."  
  
"Mom was your blind date?" He couldn't help but stare shockingly at his father.   
  
Laguna laughed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, yeah in a way. But she wasn't really my blind date…" He paused, making Squall confused and quite curious. "Edea was uh…my blind date."  
  
Squall couldn't believe his ears. Did he really date his Aunt? What on earth?   
  
The older man shook his head. "It's not what you think. I didn't really date her. You see, your Uncle Cid and I went to the same college so basically we were like best friends. There were four of us who were good friends; myself, Cid, Kiros and Ward. Cid liked Edea, but I was in love with your mother. The girls didn't know us, so Kiros had this weird idea to call up on these girls and set up a blind date with two 'eligible bachelors' from their campus. Of course, Edea and Raine had no idea who it was. They just knew Kiros as their smart Science classmate and a good friend, so they decided to take up on the offer. There was a little mix up with the dates. Kiros was supposed to set me up with Raine and Cid with Edea, but instead, I was set up on a blind date with Edea. I found out from there that she liked Cid too and that Raine liked me. Edea and I talked for a while and about half an hour later, your mother and your Uncle came into this restaurant along with Kiros, apologizing for his mistake. Cid and Edea left to continue their date, while your mother and I…well- continued ours."  
  
Squall said nothing. What was he supposed to say? This was some mushy story he didn't really care about listening to. What did his father expect him to say… all starry eyed and interested in their love life? "So? What do you want me to say about this?" To be honest, his father acted like a woman sometimes. And… his stomach growled. All this talk was holding up the food he needed for his stomach.  
  
Laguna shrugged and then smiled. "Well, that doesn't matter now. I was just remembering some old memories of mine. Let's go eat… my treat!"  
  
The brunette shrugged. "Whatever…" he said, following his father inside.  
  
They ended up sitting in the farthest corner, near the windows which Laguna chose for his own convenience. Squall couldn't care less. All he wanted was something to eat and then go home. But then again…The young brunette glanced at his father, who was seemed to be in a trance as he stared out the window. Squall figures he was probably remembering his 'good' memories. If only he could say the same thing about his memories, but there was none. None anyway, that involved his father. All his good memories were back in Seattle with Rinoa, but they are now faded ones. Now, he was forgetting why he was here in the first place.  
  
"Why do you hate me so much, Squall?" came Laguna's sudden question.  
  
Squall looked up, shocked beyond words. He turned away and frowned, unable to say anything. There are many things for him that described 'hate' and he wasn't about to reveal that to his father.  
  
Laguna sighed. He put down his menu and looked at his son. "Do you have any idea how many times I've asked myself that question, Squall? I've asked myself almost twice a day about why you hate me so much. I don't know what I did, except the fact that I haven't been paying attention to you lately. Is that what you want from me? Do you want me to pay more attention to you?"  
  
"Not just me, dad…Cloud too."  
  
Laguna shook his head. "No… I don't think this is about Cloud. I think this is more about you."  
  
Angered by his comment, Squall slammed his hands down on the table as hard as he could, showing him that he was THAT angry about his response. "You don't KNOW what I think! You don't know who I AM!" Many people were looking at them now and Squall knew, but he didn't care.   
  
"That's enough, Squall!" Laguna yelled back.   
  
When Squall noticed the way his father was looking around nervously, afraid that he could get a bad name, he shook his head in disbelief. "What, am I ruining your reputation as a Mayor of Seattle now?"  
  
"Well, that's not exactly what I was thinking. Please sit down and let's discuss this like adults. You're making a scene!" He grabbed his son's arm and forced him back down on the chair. Squall, reluctantly sat down, keeping his face as frowned as possible.  
  
Laguna leaned closer to him, his face now stern and frustrated. "Look, Squall, I've had enough with this attitude of yours. Why else do you think I took you out tonight? I've noticed that I haven't been spending time with you so I thought this was our chance to renew our relationship." Squall said nothing, as Laguna continued on. He leaned back on his chair and sighed. "Squall, there are children who need me more than you. These children lost their parents, their homes, either by abuse, or just form of abandonment. These last few days I've been helping build an orphanage and it took me months to finally complete it. There are hundreds of children trying to find their way home in the streets. Now, you tell me if you need me more than these children… tell me, Squall."  
  
"Well, aren't you just a Saint," Squall mocked. He stood up suddenly and said, "I'm going to the bathroom."  
  
This time, Laguna didn't tell him to sit back down, instead, he watched his son go. At this time, a waiter came at their table, asking for their orders. Laguna sighed and looked up, telling the young waiter his order. Squall wasn't there, so Laguna took this opportunity to prove to his son that he was his father and that he would never forget everything about his son. "My son would like lasagna," Laguna told the waiter.  
  
The waiter nodded, took the menus and went on his way to the kitchen.   
  
Meanwhile, Squall was inside the bathroom, trying to understand what his father just said. He turned on the faucet in the sink and splashed cold water in his face. He glanced up and stared at himself in the mirror. He didn't know why he even bothered to come with his father, when he knew that this would happen. Their conversation always ended with an argument, because of his father's lectures or whatnot. And Squall knew that he himself always made their conversation worst by giving his father an attitude. 'Now, tell me if you need me more than these children…tell me, Squall,' his father's voice spoke in his head. How was he supposed to respond to that? If he at least said something, it would come out wrong and he would end up being the bad guy in the conversation. If he didn't say anything, which he did, his father would ask the same question and then he would be forced to answer. Well…he had no other choice. Taking a long deep breath, Squall left the public restroom, with his hands stuffed in his pockets and began making his way back to where they were seated near the window. At the sound of his footsteps, Laguna immediately looked up, grinning like an idiot.  
  
Squall sat back down on his spot across from his father and noticed something different. "Where are the menus?"  
  
Laguna nodded. "The waiter took them."  
  
"But I wasn't done ordering."  
  
"Yes, you are," Laguna replied. "I ordered it for you."  
  
Suddenly, he was feeling heat rising up in his face. "How do you know what I wanted?" He clenched his fists at his sides, getting ready to burst out in anger.   
  
"Just because I haven't spent my time with you, doesn't mean I don't know what you like. Squall, I know you like simple things, so I ordered lasagna for you."  
  
Startled, Squall unclenched his fists and stared at his father unbelievably. He WAS going to order lasagna. Fuming, he turned his head away from his father and looked out the window. The winter chills were starting to cover the city. Many people were bundled up in their thick, winter jackets, their necks all wrapped with wooly scarves and winter hats. One girl was wearing tight clothes- not the type for winter, but she was the only one he found useful to occupy his thoughts. He was just about to get over the fact that he hadn't consented on ordering lasagna, when he suddenly spoke.  
  
"So, do you need me more than these children, Squall? You haven't really answered my question." He clamped his hands together and gave his son a serious look.  
  
If there was one thing he knew a lot about his father, it was his persistency. Squall thought a bit more, then finally shook his head and that was all he did. He just shook his head, turned away and said nothing. Laguna knew it wasn't the right time to push him with the subject. It was time to enjoy the dinner that was making its way to their table.  
  
  
  
****************  
  
  
  
The rest of their 'night out' was left with silence between father and son. Laguna and Squall drove back to town and back to Edea's home. "Hi!" Edea greeted from the kitchen. She turned off the sink faucet and joined the two just making their way inside. She smiled, but suddenly frowned when she saw Squall's face. "What's wrong?"  
  
Squall looked up and scowled. "Everything's wrong!" He walked pass Edea and went inside his cousin's bedroom and slammed the door shut. When he was sure he was inside, Edea looked at Laguna curiously. "What happened?"  
  
Laguna turned to look at the room where Squall disappeared to and sighed. "I guess our first night out wasn't exactly eventful as I hoped it would be. I don't know what to do with him, Edea. I did the best I could, but I end up just making him angrier."  
  
Edea planted a gentle hand on Laguna's shoulder. "It's all about patience, Laguna. Just be patient and I'm sure Squall will get it together and understand."  
  
Sighing heavily, Laguna turned towards the table beside the couch where a telephone sat. "I forgot to call Raine. She must be worried by now." He reached for the phone and dialed their house number back in Seattle. With only just two rings, a woman's voice answered on the other line. "Hello, sweetheart?"  
  
"Laguna! You forgot to call me, I was so worried! When did you get there!?" Raine's voice really sounded like she was on a verge of hysteria.   
  
"Calm down, Raine."  
  
"Calm down!? How can I calm down when my son goes off to Washington D.C., then followed by my husband and doesn't even call! Why didn't you call!?" There was a sudden noise, which sounded more like a sniff, telling Laguna that Raine was now crying.  
  
"Please don't cry, honey. I arrived late yesterday and I decided to take out Squall out tonight to do some bonding time. I'm fine, see? I called you didn't I? Squall is just fine too!"  
  
"You called twenty four hours late, Laguna!" Raine said angrily. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Laguna could hear some shuffling in the background on the other line. This told him, she must've sat down on a couch to calm her nerves. "I'm sorry. I was just worried."  
  
Laguna shook his head absentmindedly. "I know you were, don't apologize. I'm an idiot for not calling. We just got back from dinner."  
  
"And?" Raine asked, eager to hear if their relationship had improved at all.  
  
  
  
Note: I hope this chapter wasn't too boring. It was just a developing relationship between Squall and Laguna, just to show a little more on Laguna's character. He is really out of character though, but at least I got Squall, right! I hope…. 


	26. He Said, She Said

Note: Sorry for making you guys wait! Here is Zelphie once again! And I also want to add again that I don't own any of the Final Fantasy 8 characters except those that you guys haven't heard of before. Enjoy! ^^  
  
Chapter 26 – He Said, She Said   
  
Two weeks gradually passed by. The talk of the dance was the only thing that stuck in Selphie's brain for those two weeks she's been going on dates with Zell and accompanying him to the rehab center. Students they meet at the movie theatres, restaurants, etc. mostly went to school in Balamb so Zell and Selphie were able to find out what was happening at the school they missed the most. Many of them were girls their grades mostly girls who, from Selphie's annoyance, confessed openly, had long time crushes with Zell. When they noticed that Zell was already taken, they were even more surprised that it was someone they least expected. Selphie was hurt by this of course, but Zell seemed to be the only one who was annoyed by it the most. After that, he was the one who decided not to talk with the people they knew from school, except for Rinoa, Squall and Quistis.   
  
Selphie took a long deep breath and knocked on the door excitedly. Honestly, she has never been this excited over a dance before. Usually, she didn't care, but now that she had a date to go with, especially if it was her boyfriend, it was time to enjoy it. The flyer she held in her hand was indeed the announcement concerning the dance, given to her by Quistis and Rinoa who visited her once in a while at home. After just a second or so, Zell's Aunt answered the door who didn't seem surprised that she had come at exactly noon at her door. Selphie gave her a smile and as soon as Zell's Aunt opened the door wider for her, she ran inside and to the backyard where she knew Zell was going to be practicing throwing football. When she reached it, she expected him to be throwing the ball in the air and catching it by himself, but she noticed that he wasn't alone. He was passing his football to the two little boys they met two weeks ago, once in a while speaking out some instructions on how to really throw the ball properly. His back was to her so she couldn't really tell what kind of determined face he was holding on to today. Selphie opened the sliding door and stepped out into the cold, winter afternoon. She wrapped her arms around herself and smiled. "Hey guys!"  
  
Zell held the ball in his hand and looked over his shoulder. "Hey Selph!" he replied, continuing to throw the ball back and forth between the boys.  
  
She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and glanced at the two boys who were looking at them with blushed faces. "Hey guys! Do you remember me?"  
  
The blond boy whom Selphie remembered at Zane was the first brave boy to nod and say, "Yeah, you're Selphie! We met you before!" He gave a sweet smile, reminding Selphie more of Zell when he was his age and smiled back. She glanced at Trent and smiled too, but he just frowned and turned away. Surprised, she ignored him and turned back to Zell. "Look at this." She handed him the flyer she was holding.  
  
Zell held the ball in his hand and turned to face her, taking the paper she handed him. "What is it?" He looked down at the regular sized laminated paper in his hand and read it slowly in his head. When he was finished, he looked up and smiled awkwardly. "So there really is a dance…" he said. He didn't really want to believe there was one, because the dances he's been to weren't all that great. In fact, he hated most of the dances, because of one particular dance he knew Selphie didn't want to remember. He declines the thought of going to another dance which would remind her again of that time. The bastard who took her to the dance last year drugged her punch to make her feel woozy and vulnerable. Along with four of his friends, he led her out of the building where the dance was held and to his car in the parking lot. Luckily, one of Zell's football buddies saw them and told him about it. The only thing Zell liked about the dance was that he was able to use his tackle skills to someone else other than his opponent in the football field. "You want to go? Are you sure?" He was looking at her worriedly, but Selphie dismissed that look by a smile and a nod. When he looked at her, there was determination and when Selphie was determined at something, he knew she had made her choice.   
  
"I am positive," Selphie said, grabbing his hand. "The other reason why I came here is because I want you to take me shopping for gowns."  
  
Zell lifted up an eyebrow curiously. "Gowns?"  
  
"Yes, gowns…you know that thing girls wear in dances?"  
  
The blond rolled his eyes. "I know what gowns are, but…I thought you already went shopping for that, seeing that you were making this choice long before you told me?"  
  
Selphie shrugged. "I decided to wait until you were okay with it. How long will you be practicing with the boys?" she asked, looking at the two boys who were listening at their conversation.   
  
Zell looked at them. "We've been practicing for three hours now. And…" He glanced at his watch. "It's almost dinner time. I think your moms would be worried by now. We'll call it a day."  
  
Zane nodded and passed the ball to Zell. "Thanks, Zell!" he said.  
  
Zell shook his head and passed it back to the little blond boy. "You keep it. I bought this football just so you two can practice with it at home or something."  
  
Both boys' eyes glowed with excitement. "Really!?" they said in unison.  
  
The older blond nodded. "Really…" he said, smiling.  
  
"WOW! Thanks, Zell!" That was the first time Trent had said anything after three hours of practice. He grabbed the ball from his friend and ran through the gate connecting the backyard and the street. Zane ran after him yelling, "HEY! No fair! I should be the one to keep it!"  
  
Zell laughed. He turned to look at Selphie and suddenly grabbed her hand, startling her. He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. Selphie looked up, confused by his action. When he didn't answer, he released her and grabbed her hand and started dragging her back inside. "Aunt Vanessa, we're going to the mall! I won't be back until around nine okay?"  
  
Selphie glanced at him. "Nine?"  
  
He didn't answer; instead he dragged her out the door and into his car. It wasn't until they got to the mall fifteen minutes later did he answer her question. "I figured that nine would be the best finished time for you."  
  
The brunette's eyes widened. "Are you telling me that it takes me four hours to make up my decision about a gown?"  
  
Zell shrugged, still holding her hand as they entered the building. He put his arm around her and stopped just in front of the first store that looked like to have gowns inside. "Well, aren't all women like that? They parade around the mall looking for what they want instead of DECIDING already what it is?" This time, he didn't get a frown from her, but a full punch in the gut that made him say 'Oof!' in surprise. "What was that for!?" he said, annoyed.  
  
"Nothing…" she replied grinning as she walked inside the store.  
  
"Hey, wait up!" Zell called, running in after her.  
  
The store was indeed made for women. Zell noticed that everything in the store consisted mainly of women style dresses, shirt, pants and accessories. The blond looked to his right where he found Selphie already looking through the gown section. She was pulling out gowns and putting them back to its rack, with looks of distaste. Sometimes she would have looks of satisfaction when she noticed something beautiful, but when she glanced at the price tag on them, her look of distaste came back to her. "I like the dresses, but I do not like the prices," she said, pulling out a strapless, yellow dress from the rack. "Look at this." She turned the price tag around to show Zell.   
  
Zell shook his head. "I can't believe how expensive women's clothes are these days."  
  
"They're GOWNS, Zell. Gowns are usually expensive because they're made carefully by professionals and have certain fabrics they use. Fabrics alone are VERY expensive!" Selphie put the yellow dress back inside the rack. She turned to face him. "Let's go to a different store. I smell my purse empty from this one." Selphie looped arms with Zell and led him out of the store.   
  
They walked pass some shoe stores, in which at this point, Selphie ignored…, for now. Zell went along with her comments about some of the dresses she saw and how they weren't 'her' at all. He would agree with her on some occasion and when Zell said the wrong things about a dress she was trying on, Selphie would change back and ignore him for a few seconds before talking to him again. Zell sighed. This went on for five more stores, which annoyed the hell out of him. He has to remember that Selphie isn't to be remembered as the tomboy he knew in childhood, but as a woman. However, sometimes Zell can't help but notice how annoying the woman can be when it comes to choosing dresses and asking for HIS opinion about it.   
  
"SELPHIE! ZELL!" someone yelled. Zell felt his arm being tugged by Selphie as soon as she recognized the voice and the blond had to force his head to look up. It was Rinoa and Quistis, their arms full of shopping bags. From what Zell could see, they were also shopping for gowns. He was afraid to look when he noticed them carrying a shopping bag that came from a shoe store.   
  
"Hey, Rinny! Hi Quisty! What are you guys doing here?" Selphie gave them both warm hugs before stepping back to link arms with Zell. "Are you guys also shopping for gowns?"  
  
Rinoa nodded. "Yeah, but I already got Quistis a gown so we went shopping for her shoes and a gown for myself. We were going to go like last week and the week before that but…" She turned to look at Quistis. "Quistis here made TOO many excuses to go to the mall."  
  
Selphie laughed. "What made you change your mind, Quisty?"   
  
When Quistis was about to answer, Rinoa blurted out, "It's because Seifer agreed to escort her to the dance, that's what!"   
  
Quistis glared at her. "You don't need to announce it to the world!" She turned away annoyed, but Zell could see the blush on her cheeks and the smile on her face.   
  
"When did you guys get here?" Rinoa asked, suddenly changing the subject.  
  
Selphie glanced at her watch. "Hm…maybe about forty five minutes ago," she replied. "I still have to buy my gown."  
  
"I can see that. Want us to help you? We have time." Rinoa glanced from Selphie, to Zell and back to Selphie again.  
  
Selphie nodded. "Yes please! Zell's not really helping," she teased.  
  
Zell looked at her. "What!? What are you talking about!? I helped!" When he noticed her wink, he closed his lips and turned away, embarrassed. "Okay I didn't," he mumbled. "But I'm hungry."  
  
"Perfect! You can go get something to eat and in about half an hour, meet us at the entrance, okay?" Selphie gave her boyfriend a kiss and set off with Rinoa and Quistis. Zell watched them leave, still stunned by her reaction. Giving up, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked to the direction of the food court. He was surprised that a day like today (Thursday) would be packed with so many people. Most of them were students, still in their uniforms, all gathered together in a group of three to five people. There was a long lineup at Taco Bell and about five people in McDonald's. The other food places consisted of people coming in to order and leaving to look for a place to eat. It took him only a second to decide where to go. Zell lined up behind a mother and her child in front of Taco Bell. It took a couple of minutes until his turn was up. He ordered two chicken fajitas and a large coke and carried his tray to where the tables were.  
  
"Zell! Hey Zell!" The blond looked up at the sound of his name. There was a bunch of guys he knew from school, one of them, Hemingway Jones, his African-American friend in elementary school was waving at him. He is the best kicker in Balamb. They were all gathered around in two tables, almost at the center of the court. Deciding that he didn't want to eat alone, Zell approached them.   
  
"Hey, Hemingway! How's it going?"  
  
Hemingway moved his chair over and moved one chair beside him. "I'm good!"  
  
Zell sat down beside him and nodded. "That's great! How's the football team?" He looked around at all of them. The blond noticed that not all of them were football players, but students. He recognized all of them, but he didn't really know their names. The only ones he recognized were those from the football team, which was mostly all of them present on the table. There was none of them, four including the ones he didn't know.   
  
Hemingway chose to chew at his food, before answering, "Oh, it's great Zell! But we missed you! When are you coming back?"  
  
Zell looked at him curiously. It seems Hemingway has no idea WHY he was gone from the football team or from high school for that matter. "Um…I don't know."  
  
"Hey what happened man?" came another voice from out of nowhere. Zell looked around and noticed Bryce Windam, an Australian born sophomore staring at him curiously. "You disappeared for four weeks. Coach said you had to take a vacation. Where did you go?"  
  
So that's what he told them, Zell thought. "I went to California for a while to visit my relatives there." He took a bite out of his fajitas. "My… Uncle Fred died." For a minute there, he thought Bryce didn't believe him, but as soon as he nodded, mumbled 'Sorry' and went back to eating his dinner, Zell realized he did.   
  
"What are you doing here anyway?" Hemingway suddenly asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Selphie's looking for a gown and she dragged me along with her," Zell casually replied. That answer was suddenly followed by a loud laughter from everyone around the table.   
  
"So, you're here for at least two hours then?" Bryce said, swallowing his last piece of food. He let out a hoarse laugh and clapped Zell in the back. "Good luck man."  
  
Zell was surprised that they didn't mind him dating Selphie. That's probably why he liked hanging out with his former football team because they respected him a lot. "Yeah…" he sighed. "I don't understand women though. Why DOES it take them so long to figure out what gown to buy?"  
  
"You should be thankful they're taking their time," Hemingway said, swallowing his own dinner down to the last bit before adding, "Because they want to pick the sexiest gown just for you! Last year my girlfriend bought this really hot gown at the Valentine's dance and damn was I swooning until the night ended!"  
  
"But… Selphie isn't like that though. She doesn't care what others think of her, because I know her. I grew up with her," Zell said. He tried to imagine Selphie in a tight gown with a slit on the skirt that showed both her legs. He felt his face go hot.   
  
"Yeah but now that you guys are dating, she wants to make this night special for you!" Hemingway grinned and stole a sip of coke from Zell's cup, before leaning back on his chair and taking a breather.   
  
He didn't know what he meant by 'special' but Zell decided to ignore that comment and continued to finish eating his food.  
  
  
  
******************  
  
"Wow! This dress is REALLY cute, Selphie! Look!" Rinoa pulled the dress from the rack and showed it to Selphie. Selphie looked up and blinked. Indeed, the dress was simply beautiful. And that was how it makes it beautiful. It was simple. The gown was sunshine yellow, her favorite color with its skirt sweeping to the ground. There was white floral silk that went around the skirt only and the top attached to the skirt had two clear thin straps. "What do you think?" It took her a couple of seconds to realize that Rinoa was talking to her.   
  
"I think that's the one," she said, taking the gown from Rinoa and looking at it more fondly. "It's….this is the one…"   
  
Rinoa smiled. "Well? Are you going to try it out or what?"  
  
Selphie nodded. "I think I will." She turned and headed for the dressing room, coming out seconds later wearing the beautiful gown. She received a smile from Rinoa and an approving nod from Quistis.   
  
"OOOhhhh you look SOOOOO cute Selphie!" Rinoa squealed, jumping up and down with excitement. Quistis placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.   
  
Selphie blushed. This wasn't really her. She rarely wore anything that revealed her skin and if she did, she would find a jacket to match the outfit to cover her bare arms. But she wanted to look nice for Zell. She wanted to see how Zell would react if he saw her wearing something beautiful. She wanted to show Zell that she was a woman now, not the tomboy Selphie he knew in his childhood. "Okay! Next would be the shoes! I say…silver!" Rinoa said.  
  
Quistis shook her head. "No…white," she said, pointing at the white part of the dress. "If those are white, the shoes HAVE to be white."  
  
Rinoa pouted. "Yeah, you're right."   
  
Selphie smiled, and then glanced at the price tag. "Oh…."  
  
"What's the matter?" the dark haired girl asked.  
  
"It's…I can't afford this dress." She turned and went back inside the fitting room, disappointed. "It's too expensive." She closed the door and changed back into her clothes.  
  
"But it's the dress you wanted right?" Rinoa asked, glancing at Quistis.   
  
"Yeah," Selphie replied from the fitting room, with a sad voice.  
  
"Oh, Selphie…" Rinoa said. She looked back at Quistis, but was stunned when she noticed the blond reaching inside her purse and took out her cell phone. "What are you doing?"  
  
Quistis looked at her and said in a low voice, "Just keep her here for a second. I'll be right back." She turned and left quietly out of the store. Curious, Rinoa watched her leave, but did as she was told. When Selphie came out a minute later with a sad voice, the dark haired girl distracted her by saying, "Hey how about we look for more dresses that you will like? I'm sure there's bound to have one with the right price!"  
  
Selphie looked up and did her best to smile. "Sure," she said rather too quietly.  
  
Quistis came back inside the store two minutes later and found them looking at the discount rack for more gowns. Rinoa looked at her, wondering where she had gone off to, but the blond just smiled and gave her a reassuring look.   
  
About ten minutes later, Zell appeared in the store. He found the three girls at the very back of the discount rack. "Hey…" He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Selphie looking at him with a sad look. "What's wrong?" Of course he already knew what was wrong.   
  
Selphie smiled and said, "Nothing's wrong. I… Well I think we can leave the mall now." Without another word, she walked out of the store quietly. Rinoa was comforting her the best she could while Quistis and Zell stayed as far behind as possible. He watched the two on their own and when he was sure they were gone, he turned to look at the blond. "Where-?" But before he could finish his sentence, Quistis was already standing there, holding the dress. "This is the gown?"  
  
Quitis nodded.  
  
Zell examined it. It really was a nice gown and he even imagined Selphie wearing it. He glanced at the price tag and even though his eyes widened, it only lasted for a few seconds when he realized he had enough money to afford it. However, he was still unsure whether it was a good idea to buy it. "She DID look beautiful in it you know," he heard Quistis replied as if she knew what he was thinking. "And she even looked happy when she found what she was looking for."   
  
The thought of her sad face brought back memories to the time she cried when the bird she took home with her as a pet suddenly died. Zell gave up all his savings to buy himself a new toy by buying Selphie the exact same bird she lost. Selphie was so happy and the toy he was planning to buy did not compare to the smile she gave him. Deciding on that, he took the dress from Quistis and purchased it. He was startled to find Selphie and Rinoa waiting for them.  
  
"What took you guys so long?" Selphie asked, impatiently. When she saw the bag he was holding, she frowned and shook her head. "We're here for a gown, yet you went to buy something for yourself? You'll never change will you, Zell?" Frustrated, she turned and walked off.   
  
The blond rolled his eyes. "And you'll never change will you? You're always jumping into conclusions…" He caught up with her and lifted up the bag in front of her face. "Here, it's for you. I thought you might like it. I don't want to see your sad face."  
  
Selphie looked at the bag, then at Zell, then back at the bag again. "It's…for me?"  
  
Zell shrugged. "Yeah. You seem to like it very much so I thought…hell why not?" He gave a huge grin and kept the bag in front of her face until she took it from him and slowly peeked inside. Her eyes glowed and before she knew it, they were suddenly filled with tears.   
  
"You…" She swallowed hard. "You bought this for me?" Selphie looked up and smiled. Without warning, Selphie wrapped her arms around him, her smile widening. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!"  
  
Zell felt like he could abandon the whole world just to see her smile and that's exactly what he did. He was planning on saving the money for something else, but nothing was worth this. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for an embrace. "Just think of it as my thanks to you."  
  
Rinoa looked at the blond beside her. "Good job, Quisty," she whispered, giggling as she saw Zell and Selphie standing there, with their heads leaned on each other.   
  
"But…" Selphie finally calmed down. She released herself from her boyfriend's embrace and looked up, her eyes still filled with tears of happiness. "I was going to surprise you with this dress…And how did you know this was the one I wanted?" The thought suddenly occurred to her. She turned her head to where Rinoa and Quistis were standing and blinked when she noticed they were gone.   
  
"I guess there's a Guardian Angel watching over you," Zell replied, thanking Quistis quietly in his head. 'I owe you one, Quis,' he thought. He took her hand in his and began pulling her with him.   
  
"Where are we going?" Selphie asked.  
  
Zell glanced over his shoulder at her as he continued to drag her along. "To a shoe store…Don't you need something to go with your gown?" He grinned and for the first time in his life he felt even happier than when he started his first puff of smoke. It was great to see her smile again.  
  
Selphie smiled. Her eyes were on him as clearly as possible and as she opened her mouth, she had no idea that she was saying, "I love you" to him. Zell stopped and turned to look at her with a surprised look. "What did you say?" he asked. Selphie smiled again. "I said I love you."  
  
The blond stood there, dumbfounded, gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "I love you too."  
  
GoodGurl: EEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!!!! I wish I had a boyfriend to do what Zell did to Selphie! It makes me happy to see them happy! Heh heh! Next for the two is…the dance! 


	27. Behind His Mask

Note: When Seifer's whole life flashes before his eyes, he has no choice but to turn to the only person who could understand him the most… A lot more Seiftis in this chapter! Woohoo!  
  
  
  
Chapter 27 – Behind His Mask   
  
  
  
  
  
'Even if you don't have good memories with your mother, Seifer….you can still think that you HAVE one. Looking into the bad memories won't help you cope with this pain that you're feeling.' Quistis' words echoed over and over again in his head.  
  
There was silence, except for the sound of the rain splattering around them. It was darker now, much darker. They had no idea how long they were holding onto each other like that, but Seifer knew he had to let go or else BOTH of them will get pneumonia. Slowly and cautiously, he removed his arms from around Quistis' waist. Fully aware that Seifer wanted to leave the cold, damp weather; she did the same and backed up a couple of inches.   
  
Suddenly, a gust of wind came out of nowhere, blowing Quistis' umbrella from her hands. It flew only a few centimeters away, landing in between the swings and the merry-go-round. Both of them stared at it awkwardly for a few minutes, before Quistis made to go for it, but Seifer had already gotten there before her. He picked it up and handed it to Quistis, without even looking at her. "Here, you're going to catch a cold if you don't use it."  
  
Quistis took the umbrella from him and instead of using it on her, she hovered the umbrella on top both of them. Seifer finally turned his face to look at her curiously. "Same with you too," she said. "You don't even have a jacket."  
  
Seifer stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned away. "I'm immune to rain," he answered. Then, without realizing it, he shivered as the rain got heavier and heavier. Quistis stared at him and without thinking, grabbed his hand and said, "Why don't you come with me? You can get dried up in my Aunt's house and she could make hot chocolate."   
  
The male blond suddenly jerked his hand away from her grasp. "What? I don't need your sympathy!" he yelled through the thick rain fall (Although, part of him liked her generosity).   
  
Quistis stopped and turned to look at him, moving a bit closer to keep the rain from spraying on both of them. "Seifer, I don't think this is a great spot to be contemplating on your thoughts while you get yourself sick!" She planted one fist on her hips and frowned disappointedly. She grabbed his hand again and gripped it much tighter than he anticipated and gave up altogether, knowing that when the blond girl had made up a decision about something, there was no way in hell he was able to change it. He allowed her to drag him back to her Aunt's house, while at the same time, feeling dizzy. He hated to admit it, but she was right about something. If he stayed out here longer, he would have collapsed. If Quistis hadn't been there, no one would have known what happened to him, especially his father… The thought of his 'father' frustrated him even more.   
  
Seifer was unaware that he was gripping his hand tightly around Quistis now that the blond girl even jerked her hand from him and turned to look at him. "OUCH!" she yelped. "What's the big idea?" When she noticed the way he was looking at her, she returned him a look of sympathy. She knew what he was thinking and he didn't need to spell it out for her.   
  
"Sorry…" he mumbled. He relaxed his hand around hers as they strolled along down the street towards Charlotte's place. It's been a long time since he was there. Seifer glanced up at a tree standing in the front yard of Charlotte's house. He remembered playing in that tree. His nine year old self was always scolded by Charlotte whenever he climbed up the tree and was too scared to come down. Charlotte had no choice but ask some of the neighbors to help her get the little boy down. 'You're like a cat,' Charlotte said to him that day when they finally went inside the house in time for dinner. Seifer couldn't help but smirk at that thought.  
  
Quistis looked up and noticed a smile on his face. "Is there something funny I should know about?" That question distinguished the smile on his face, but Quistis wasn't disappointed. She already saw the smile. She rapped on the door gently, unaware that Seifer was still shaking.   
  
Seifer didn't look at her; instead he decided to put all his attention on the door opening. Charlotte's face appeared from behind the door and he managed to hide another wave of shiver from the cold before she noticed him there. "Seifer! My God! Look at you two! You're soaking wet!"  
  
Quistis stepped inside, followed by a reluctant Seifer. "I'm sorry I couldn't get the eggs, Auntie-!" But before she could finish her sentence, Charlotte had dragged both of them inside, her face twisted into a look of despair.   
  
"Seifer…." Charlotte looked as though she was about to cry, confirming both blondes that she already knew about Seifer's tragedy. It was a good thing they didn't need to tell her, because Quistis knew it was already hard enough on Seifer.   
  
"What's going on here? Hey-!" Travis was coming down the stairs and his eyes were locked on to the two blondes standing side by side and were soaking from head to toe.   
  
"Travis, I want you to bring extra clothes from the den for Seifer here…" Like a mother would, Charlotte began patting the raindrops away from Seifer's shoulders, while Travis, still confused, ran to the extra room pass the living room and came back seconds later with black pants and a collared shirt. Charlotte looked up at Seifer, grabbed the clothes from her son and handed it to the blond. "Here. Quistis will show you where the shower is upstairs. We only have one bathroom so I think you should go first, Seifer. You seem to be a lot more soaked than Quistis here."  
  
Quistis wasted no time in waiting. She hated walking around in the house wet, but since her Aunt wasn't complaining, she removed her shoes and began walking up the stairs, leading Seifer to the second floor. Seifer still remembered the same painting he saw when he was a little boy surrounding the hallway of the second floor. It was small, but very homely. He already knew where the bathroom was, but Charlotte seemed too upset for him to say anything. Lynette's death must have affected Charlotte more than him. They were good friends since he was a boy. "Here's the bathroom, but I guess you already knew that?" Seifer blinked again and looked at her. Quistis folded her arms across her chest and smiled. "I see that when you come back here, it brings a lot of memories, doesn't it?"  
  
Seifer nodded absent-mindedly.   
  
They stood there awkwardly for a couple of seconds, before Quistis had the courage to turn around the leave. "Hey Quistis?" Seifer called. The female blond stopped and looked over her shoulder at the taller blond, who had already stepped inside the bathroom.   
  
"Oh…right…Hang on a second." Quistis turned and walked pass the bathroom and into a closet in the hallway. She grabbed the first towel she saw and slowly made her back to the bathroom. Quistis had no idea that once she stepped inside the bathroom to hand him the towel, Seifer, with his back to her, had removed his soaking shirt. The blond's eyes traveled from his shoulders to his torso where his pants seemed ready to fall off.   
  
"Is there something funny on my back that you should stare like that?" Seifer looked over his shoulder at her and smirked. He removed his soaking shirt, where he dropped it on the tile floor with a loud 'SPLAT!'   
  
Quistis recovered from close to fainting and turned her eyes from him. She forgot that there was a mirror right in front of him so he could see her reflection where she stood. "Um…no…not at all." She was red in the face as Quistis handed the towel to Seifer.   
  
With a little bit of satisfaction that he could make Quistis blush, Seifer took the towel from her and waited until she stepped out of the bathroom to completely strip naked. Quistis stood there, her mind still on his naked back and the more she thought about it, the more her face turned a deeper crimson red. 'God, he is SO beautiful!' she thought.   
  
"Quistis?"   
  
The blond suddenly straightened up and looked around to see who was calling her. "Yes, Auntie?"   
  
"Auntie?" Travis appeared from the stairs and towards her, his face looking rather suspicious. "I'm your cousin, you dork!" He laughed, and then he noticed her standing just in front of the bathroom where he suspected Seifer was in. "Have you been spying on Seifer?"  
  
"NO! Of course not!" She covered her face in her hands and fast-walked to her bedroom. Travis watched her leave, still trying to suppress a laugh, which came out into a snort. Quistis closed the door behind her as calmly as she could and took a long deep breath. Trying to remove the redness from her cheeks, the blond crossed her room to the other side to her closet and grabbed her bathrobe hanging at the door. Quickly removing all her wet clothes, she put on her robe and removed all her pins from her hair. A flow of gold fell down her back, all tangled and wet, but Quistis decided to tackle her hair tonight with her not-so reliable hair brush waiting for her on the dresser drawer. She had no choice but to wait for Seifer to finish taking a shower before it was her turn.   
  
After what seemed like minutes of untangling her hair, Quistis sat down on her bed and laid her head down on her pillow.   
  
"Quistis!" It took a while for the blond girl to realize that she wasn't asleep, until she noticed that her eyes were opened. She sat up and opened the door to her bedroom. "Quistis?"  
  
"Yes, Auntie?" she answered. She moved to the top of the stairs where Charlotte was standing at the opposite end, getting ready to walk up the stairs to fetch her.   
  
"I made some hot chocolate so tell Seifer he can stay for a while here…"  
  
Quistis nodded. "All right," she said, rather quietly, her heart beating a million times over. Suddenly, she felt excited that her Aunt made hot chocolate for the both of them.   
  
  
  
*************  
  
He really didn't want to be here. He had his fun, of course, with making Quistis blush. That was about the only glory he felt in this house, but nothing else made him smile. Every time he thought of his mother, he immediately sees her crushed between two cars…hers and someone else's. Seifer turned and glanced at his reflection in the sliding door of the shower stall. He saw himself. He wanted to smile, but his lips would stay the same… firmed and frowning.   
  
When was the last time he smiled?   
  
Sure, he smirked, but a smirk didn't mean it was a 'smile.' It was just a way to cover the feelings he had inside. It was his own mask of illusion to fool the audience in his act. How long can he keep this mask? Will he be able to smile again? Even after all that's happened? "Ah CRAP!" he swore, closing his eyes to feel the water falling on his back. He leaned his back against the cold, wet surface of the bathroom stall and buried his face in his hands. He promised himself he wouldn't cry. 'I am so pathetic,' he thought. He was a man…men didn't cry! Angry at himself for being weak, Seifer slammed a fist against the wall. Was he just saying all those things to Quistis about letting go of someone you love who died? Was he just fooling himself? Was he just being a hypocrite?   
  
"I can't take this." He turned and reached for the shower knob, then twisted it off until he could only hear just the long second intervals of water falling on the wet, tile floor. The sound of the shower still reminded him of that moment underneath the rain, with his face buried in his face, surrounded by feelings of despair and sadness.   
  
Seifer stepped out of the shower and grabbed the towel hanging at the side of the wall. The water from around his body fell like rain from his tousled hair, to his back and around his legs, where it met its fate on the cold floor. He dried his hair with his towel and moved over to where the mirror was in the sink. Once again, he saw his own face…he saw his mask. He was now part of the audience and when he moved his lips to attempt a smile. For a moment there, he thought he saw a smile, but he realized that it was just his usual smirk. He was fooled by own mask of illusion. Sighing, he turned his head towards the clothes Quistis handed him earlier folded neatly on a chair. Seifer stared at the solitary chair standing there, wondering why it was there in the first place and remembered that Charlotte used to cry at night when her husband died in a car accident. She would take her magazine, walk into the bathroom, lie to Travis that she was just going to the bathroom and would just sit there, thinking. Seifer saw her do that once when she thought no one was home and she never knew until now that Seifer knew her secret. He didn't understand, however, why the chair was still there. It has been nearly eighteen years since he passed away.   
  
The blond took a deep breath, removing all the thoughts away on that one chair and grabbed the clothes. He looked at the shirt first. It was a nice color… dark blue. It was a collared shirt with a single button at the top. Seifer quickly put it on and unbuttoned the single button on the shirt. He had forgotten that Gerald was a skinny man if he were alive today to be compared with Seifer or Travis, so the shirt on him was a little tight. It was tight enough to show off a little bit of his muscles, but Seifer didn't have time to complain. Having a shirt was enough than walking around in a house half naked. He could hear another door opening in the hallway. He had forgotten that Quistis needed to take a shower as well. Seifer put on the pants provided for him and didn't have much time to complain about how short the pants were when he heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Seifer? Are you done in there?" he heard Quistis say. "My Aunt told me to tell you that she made hot chocolate. She says to stay for a while and have some."  
  
Seifer grabbed his wet clothes and opened the door. "Yes, I'm done and I don't know if I want to stay," he answered, ignoring Quistis' disappointed look "All yours…" He walked passed her and didn't even bother to glance at Quistis' reaction with the clothes he was wearing. In fact, he was glad, because he had a fleeting impression that it wasn't the type of reaction he was looking for.   
  
By the time he made it downstairs and by the time he thought of some kind of excuse not to stay, he heard Charlotte's voice. "Seifer? Are you leaving now?" He could hear the disappointment in her tone of voice and Seifer had no choice BUT to stay. Seifer moved to the kitchen and noticed Charlotte sitting on one of the chairs. She looked as though she was crying. "At least stay for some hot chocolate." Charlotte looked at him strangely, in fact…sadly. Seifer had forgotten that Charlotte and his mother were best friends during his childhood. The thought of Charlotte crying for her best friend completely flew pass him and as that thought hit him, he felt his stomach do a double somersault. Guilt had punched him right in the gut.   
  
"All right," he mumbled, reluctantly taking a seat next to her. She slid an already made hot chocolate towards him, but did not meet his eyes. Seifer quietly looked down inside the mug at the whipped cream covering the brown color of the hot chocolate. After all the hard work she made, there was no point in neglecting a hot chocolate as good as Charlotte's. He always loved Charlotte's hot chocolate.   
  
For a moment, they sat silently, until a thought occurred to him, which forced the silent barrier to break surrounding them both. "Where is Travis?"  
  
She put down her cup and had no choice but to look at him in the eyes. "He's asleep now. He has school tomorrow. He was asking me what happened, but I told him he had to sleep."  
  
Seifer continued to stare at the content inside his mug. "How did you find out about this? Did dad call you?"  
  
Charlotte lifted her cup to her mouth and then put it back down again. She gave herself a moment to swallow the chocolate and when she was done, she said, "Your mom and I were best friends, Seifer. There is nothing that I don't know about what happens to my best friend."  
  
"Yes, but…" He didn't know how to continue with his sentence. He really didn't know why they stopped being best friends.  
  
"Your mother and I still kept in touch so I know everything that's going on."  
  
Seifer suddenly felt his fists clenched at his side. "Even the one about my REAL father?" He looked up, his eyes dangerously leering at Charlotte.  
  
However, the woman didn't seem to be unnerved by his look. Charlotte simply removed her eyes away from him and glanced towards the kitchen counter as if there was something interesting there and sighed. "Seifer, they didn't want to tell you for reasons like this…" She turned to look at him, pointing with her head at his clenched fists. "They were afraid that you would act this way if you found out."  
  
"Oh, so they decided to wait until ONE OF THEM DIES TO TELL ME!?" He was now on his feet, his hands lying flat on the table. "SO THEY DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL I'M TALL ENOUGH AND STRONG ENOUGH FOR THEM TO TELL ME!?" He couldn't take this anymore. Even Charlotte knew about this… why didn't he know? Why was he the last one to know?  
  
As if reading his mind, Charlotte also stood up, matching height with him. "You are their SON! OF COURSE YOU'RE THE LAST TO KNOW!" She was also matching her voice volume with him. She took a deep breath and sat back down. "So will you please just sit back down and not yell? My son is sleeping…"  
  
Seifer took a deep breath and did as he was told. His wet clothes hung limp on his right arm and, remembering the letter in his pant pocket, he reached inside and handed it to Charlotte. "This is the letter my mom gave me."  
  
Charlotte looked at him curiously and took the letter from him. She read and re-read the letter over and over until she finally handed the letter back to him, her eyes anywhere except Seifer's. "There you go. All the answers are in there."  
  
The blonde's eyebrows suddenly furrowed angrily. He was losing patience with many people these days. "Is that all you have to say? You were my mom's best friend…" He expected sympathetic words from a woman who babysat him until he was ten years old, but he received no response from her. Frustrated, he stood up and stuffed the letter into his new pants. "Well I guess our conversation won't go anywhere if all I get is silent treatment." He turned and headed for the door, but Quistis' sudden presence there stopped him in mid-walk.  
  
She heard it all. All his anger… all the pain he's been wanting to let out. All that must have drained him of his energy, because with just one look, Quistis noticed how tired Seifer was.   
  
They stared at each other for a few moments, until Seifer was the first one to break eye contact. He turned away and went for the door, when Quistis suddenly stopped him. Seifer looked at her, expecting for her to say something, but Quistis just grabbed an umbrella hanging at the side of the door and handed it to him. "Here…you need this walking home," she said.  
  
Seifer mumbled a 'thank you' and grabbed the umbrella from her. "I'll give this back to you tomorrow," he said, once again opening the door to the cold, and wet night air. Without giving Quistis another glance, he quickly left with his clothes still hanging on his right arm.  
  
Quistis watched him leave. She wanted so much for him to stay. And, no matter how bad of timing it was, she wanted to ask him whether he was still willing to take her to the dance, but… she couldn't do that to him…not when his heart is still breaking from his mother's sudden death.   
  
  
  
******************  
  
"Hello, Seifer…" The blond was greeted by a deep, familiar voice. He wasn't surprised that his father was there, his shadowed figure shining in the moonlight at the bottom of the stairs. "I thought you were home so I checked if you were in your bedroom, but I guess not."  
  
Seifer said nothing. He folded the umbrella and tossed it lazily aside by the door and walked to the kitchen. He heard his father following him into the kitchen, but stopped just by the archway between the kitchen and the hallway.   
  
"The hospital called. When they told me you were already there to see your mother and left, I thought you came home straight away. Then, I saw your car parked in the hospital parking lot and I got worried." Bryan stuffed his hands I his  
  
He didn't listen. Seifer continued to pour the coffee grind aimlessly inside his mug. It was until it fell all over the counter did he realize that he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. He could feel his father approaching him, his heavy footsteps the only noise making inside the house, besides the little scraping noises as Seifer began picking up the coffee off the counter.   
  
"Seifer, are you all right?"  
  
Suddenly, he felt his right hand slam on the kitchen counter with a loud 'SMACK!' Some coffee grinds fell onto the floor, while everything else around the counter juggled at the impact. Seifer glared at his father. "That's the stupidest question I have ever heard from you…" he scowled, trying to hold back the anger that was once again boiling inside him. He had enough anger in just one day. Seifer didn't give his father a chance to reply back, when he suddenly turned and headed for the stairs. He could feel his father watching him from behind, but he didn't care. "I'm going to sleep," he said simply, walking up the stairs. He disappeared in the darkness, leaving his father behind to clean the mess he made.  
  
  
  
***************  
  
  
  
Morning came by once again and she was relieved that when she woke up, it was a bright sunny day, unlike all the other days of the week. Quistis was even more relieved that it was Friday. She stretched and yawned and changed into a pink turtle-necked shirt and a long, black skirt that reached the bottom of her knees. She knew that even with the sunshine outside, there was still some chill in the winter air. Quistis grabbed her backpack and headed downstairs, while at the same time, gathering all her golden hair and tying it up to turn into her usual bun. It was still a little bit wet from her shower last night as she ran down the stairs, said good bye to her Aunt and left without breakfast.   
  
Rinoa greeted her at the front of the school with the usual smile on her face and once again, Selphie wasn't there. But then again, Quistis thought, Rinoa was ALMOST like Selphie so there was no total loss there. "Hi! Quisty!"  
  
Quistis' face turned red. "Oh, come on, Rinoa…do you have to call me with that name?" she said, lowering her voice. Her face turned redder as students walked by them, laughing at her name.  
  
The dark haired girl smiled and nodded. "Of course! It's what Selphie always calls you so I thought…why not?" Rinoa turned and walked inside the building.  
  
The blond rolled her eyes. "I give up…" she mumbled. Quistis followed the younger girl inside and they walked together to the direction of their lockers. Rinoa's was just across from where Quistis' was so they were free to talk about anything, just by shouting out across from each other, except anything that was personal. Quistis wasn't ready to tell Rinoa about what happened last night. She placed all her books and her binders inside her locker and took out the ones she needed, and then stuffed them in her backpack.   
  
"Bonjour!" Startled, Quistis turned to look beside her. Standing there was a tall (much taller than Seifer), young man about their age with short sandy, brown hair. He was quite handsome, with shining, pearly white teeth. Shocked beyond words, the blond gave him a curious look. "You are Quistis, correct?" he asked.  
  
Quistis nodded, still trying to figure out who this guy was, while Rinoa watched them, clearly trying to figure out who he was as well. "I 'ave 'eard so much about you from my friends," he said with his thick French accent. "I know zat you are a smart girl, but I never knew you were so beautiful." He reached down and gently took Quistis' hand in his.   
  
The blond blushed. "Um….I guess." She didn't know what to say. Here was this guy, an incredible HOT guy talking to her. Quistis blushed even more when he suddenly lifted up her hand and kissed the back of it gently. "P….pleased to meet you."   
  
"Enchanter," he said, smiling at her. "Forgive me for being rude. My name is Jacque Godenot." He began fishing for something inside his right jacket pocket and took out two familiar items. "I know it eez sudden. I have always wanted to meet such a beautiful lady, so I ask you zis, mademoiselle…Would you like to go to zee dance with moi?"  
  
Quistis was taken aback. Who was this guy? Seriously, he was suddenly creeping her out, but she didn't want to be rude. He was being nice to her after all. "Well… I don't…" How should she turn this guy down? Then again, she already bought a dress for the dance and she already promised Rinoa she would go. Seifer hasn't really mentioned anything to her about the dance…Why would he? His mother just died. She thought it would be rude to mention it to him since he was still suffering from the loss… But before, she could decide, something grey and tall moved in front of her. She looked up and noticed that someone's back was to her, obviously speaking to Jacque. Then…she heard 'his' voice.  
  
"I'm sorry, but she's already going with me to the dance." Annoyed, Seifer placed his thin notebook close to Jacque's face. He knew that the idiot was going to make a move on Quistis.   
  
Startled, Jacque backed away and stuffed his tickets into his pocket. He shoved the book out of his face and glared into the face of a blond man, who was an inch shorter than him. "Who are you?"  
  
Rinoa watched from the sidelines. 'OOOOhhhhh! A triangle!' she thought excitedly in her mind. 'This is going to be something!'  
  
Quistis glanced from one man to the other, and then soon stayed only on Seifer, curiously watching him. The blond man took another step forward, his eyes turning into thin slits. "Like I said, I'm going to the dance with this girl, so why don't you ask Brandy?"  
  
Jacque's eyes widened. 'He knows!' he thought, staring into Seifer's dangerous intense green eyes. He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. Seifer expected him to back off, but Jacque was even more persistent than he expected. "If you are taking her to zee dance, you would not leave a beautiful girl's side at all! And you would have a ticket already bought for the both of-!" He stopped. The blond shoved something into his face and there they were… the two dance tickets placed in his right hand.   
  
Seifer smirked. He wasn't going to let this bastard win! "I'm not that stupid… So you can leave now."  
  
"I see…" He looked over Seifer's shoulder at Quistis and gave her another genuine smile. "Well, I will see you at zee dance my beautiful angel…" Jacque walked pass Seifer and reached down to take Quistis' hand in his one more time, then kissed the back of it. "Until we meet again my Princess…" He turned and left, leaving Seifer fuming with rage.  
  
Quistis looked up, her eyes searching Seifer's back. Before she had a chance to say something, Seifer turned to face her and shoved the two tickets in her hands. "Here, you hold on to the tickets. I might lose them if I keep them. I'll see you after school," he said, without giving one glance at the blond girl. He too, turned and left, but in the opposite direction of Jacque. She watched him leave, absent-mindedly stuffing his hands in his pockets as he entered the Western hall towards his first class.  
  
Rinoa gave her a moment to stare into space, before clearing her throat to interrupt the now noisy hall that suddenly erupted from out of nowhere. "Hey, Quisty… I think we better go to class now." She closed her locker and watched as Quistis just turned and left for her first class as if in a trance. "Quistis?" The dark haired girl sighed and waved at Quistis' back. "All right, I'll see you at lunch then."  
  
  
  
***********  
  
The dance was once again the talk of the school as she walked down the hallway to her match class to meet with Seifer. There were talks of who was going with whom and what kind of gowns the girls were wearing for this 'blessed' event. Quistis spent her entire day in school, still thinking about this morning, while she ignored Rinoa's worried glances. The same students, who gave little reminders about the dance to each senior in the school, were still giving them out, even though most of them have already gotten the little note.   
  
When Quistis reached the closed doors of her math class, she paused and stared at it. What was she going to say to him when he sees her? Should she be smiling at him for defending her against the weird, creepy guy who kissed the back of her hand? Or should she be smiling because he has confirmed it himself that he was taking her to the dance? Right now, she knew that mentioning the dance and the guy would only make Seifer's blood boil (though she didn't understand why). Another reason would have to be…because he was still in grief of his mother's death. Cautiously, she grabbed the door knob and slowly twisted it open. Looking around, she noticed the same empty tables usually seen after school, except for the stack of books on the last table of the first row. Seifer was sitting in his usual seat, but she expected him to have his feet propped up on the table, instead, she saw him reading carefully through the math book and…to her surprise- through the colorful notes she had given him weeks ago. When the door behind her closed, making a slow, clicking noise, Seifer looked up from his reading and greeted her with a nod. Quistis just nodded back, awkwardly taking her seat just in front of him.   
  
"I read through your notes last night." Of course it was a lie and Quistis knew it, but she allowed him to allow just this once. She could see the suffering in his eyes and could hear the pain through his voice. Finding out the real truth about the painful past and seeing someone die right in front of you would drive anyone insane. The blond girl sat there, staring at him, contemplating whether they should go through this study or not. She could hear him talk, but she didn't hear anything genuine from his voice. He didn't mean it all. He was holding an expression that kept his real emotions inside. He was once again hiding behind his mask, refusing to let his tears come out. "Is there something on my face that you need to stare at it all the time?"  
  
Quistis blinked. She has been staring at him for so long that she hadn't realized that he was talking to her now, his eyes examining hers with that same look of confusion. But underneath it that, she heard his cries. She heard his pain. 'Why do you let yourself suffer like this, Seifer?' she thought. "Um…there's nothing there. So, where were we?" She looked down at her opened math book, which wasn't even opened in the right page.  
  
"Did you even hear a word I said?" Seifer asked, annoyed.  
  
The blond girl nodded. "Yeah, I did."  
  
"Then what did I say?" he folded his arms across his chest.   
  
His face, his eyes, his heart.... Why was he hiding all this from her? Hadn't her words hit him as hard as she hoped it would? Didn't he understand it at all? "Uh…you said….you said…."  
  
Seifer took a long deep breath and closed his eyes in irritation. He reached out for his math book and closed it. "Okay, clearly your head is in the clouds somewhere, so I can't study like this if you're like this…" He stood up and started to leave, when a loud noise stopped him on his tracks.   
  
"STOP DOING THIS TO ME!" Quistis yelled, standing up.  
  
The blond man turned to look at her, astonished. "What-?"  
  
"THIS!" She placed a hand on her heart. "You're trying to confuse me! Why won't you tell me how you feel? Wasn't last night enough for you to tell me everything?!" Tears suddenly began to fill her eyes and fall down her cheeks. "Stop hiding from me!"  
  
Seifer's face twisted into a look of dissatisfaction. "Why should I tell you everything!?" he spat, gripping his math book tighter around his right arm. "You have no right to tell me to stop hiding from you. I have every right to hide things from a girl who barely knows me!"  
  
"Then I guess my efforts were all in vain!" Quistis growled, picking up her stuff from the table and hastily stuffing them in her backpack. She gave Seifer an expression of disgust as she took out the tickets from her jacket pocket and slammed them down on the table. "HERE! You go with someone else! Maybe it's best that we go with other people…" She looked away, hiding her sad face behind her golden hair. "I want to go the dance happy and not depressed because 'someone' doesn't want to share his feelings with me. I thought….I thought that….Last night…." Was she being hasty? Was she being unfair? Right now, she didn't care, as long as she left his sight for good! Maybe he wasn't ever going to open up to her. Maybe last night wasn't enough. Maybe she was wrong to ever….fall for him. She was tired of waiting. She was tired of asking him questions about his life, instead of him opening up to her.  
  
Shocked, Seifer watched her walk pass him without giving him a second look. What did she mean all her efforts were in vain? They weren't in vain at all! She was working hard enough already to tutor him. "What the hell are you talking about!?" he yelled in the hallway.  
  
Quistis did not look back, leaving Seifer to turn and stare at the tickets lying on the table with a hollow heart. Angrily, he walked to the table and picked up the tickets. Seifer looked at it one last time, before ripping it to shreds. Why was he wasting his time with this girl anyway? All she ever did was get mad at him for no reason at all! He didn't need anyone. Didn't WANT anyone, except… Seifer felt his heart skip a bit. Except….  
  
Her…  
  
GoodGurl: GAH! Another fight! Of course! :D I won't let you go guys get away THAT easily with a sudden kiss! We have to make them 'fight' first to make a good impression! *sigh* when will Seifer STOP yelling and losing his temper!? Was Quistis wrong to get mad at him? What happens now for this couple??? Stay tuned for the next chapter! 


	28. Laguna's Story

GoodGurl: Hello everyone! I'm glad I'm getting a lot of reviews for this fic! I am soooo happy! All right so it's ooon with the chapter! Prepare for tissues, because this can be a tear jerker! I think…LOL   
  
Disclaimer: Owned by Squaresoft, not by GoodGurl…sadly! *sniff*   
  
  
  
Chapter 28 – Laguna's Story   
  
  
  
A bit of time was what they needed, but even that, did not even renew the relationship between father and son. Three days and still, Laguna and Squall were not seen hugging each other with emotions usually seen only on Hallmark commercials. Edea did the best she could to make them talk to each other, even paying for a movie she knew they would enjoy together, but none of them worked. All her efforts were in vain. Every night, when they would come home from their 'night out,' Squall would head for the room he was sleeping in, his face full of expressionless air, while Laguna silently shuffled to the kitchen to prepare himself a cup of coffee. She had told Raine about this and all she received from her younger sister was silence. Edea knew that somehow, Raine wanted to forget the memories that led to this type of relationship her son and her husband had with each other, so Edea mentioned none of it anymore.   
  
It was morning—the fourth day of, to what Laguna mentioned, 'spending time' with his son. She looked up and noticed Laguna reading over the National Post, deep in thought, but Edea hated the silence over breakfast, even if one was too busy reading a newspaper. Now that she had her brother-in-law and nephew staying with her for a week, there was no point in keeping silence in the house forever. "What is your plan today with Squall?"  
  
Laguna looked at her, and then back down at the newspaper. "I was thinking maybe we just stay home," he replied. He turned the page of the National Post and began reading again.  
  
Edea sighed. "You and Squall are very stubborn!" she said, as calmly as she could. That comment forced Laguna the full attention she needed from him, his eyebrows furrowing curiously. "I don't think it's time that you two need, I think it's your ears! I think you two are too stubborn to listen to each other!" She stood up, quickly shuffled to Squall's room, leaving Laguna baffled and came back seconds later with Squall following behind. "Sit there, Squall!"  
  
Squall was too confused to argue, so he sat down on a chair opposite of Laguna, giving his father a curious glance before looking up at his Aunt. "What's going on?" he asked.  
  
The dark haired woman glanced from one person to the other, and then sat down in between Laguna and Squall. Her eyes slowly dragged back to Squall first, and ended up staying there. "Squall I want you to start first."  
  
"With what?" Squall was getting annoyed now.   
  
"I want you to start telling your father about how you feel towards him-!" She paused and lifted up a hand to stop Laguna's protest. "Squall the first step in making a relationship stronger is having a straight conversation." Edea looked at Laguna. "With no interruptions…"  
  
"You want me to say how I feel?" Squall asked, looking at his Aunt, then at Laguna, now with determination and anger all mixed in one. "Well he's a man I don't want to talk to, so let's just leave it at that, all right!?" He stood up and was about to walk away, when he felt a pair of hands on his arm. Squall turned and noticed Edea giving her the most pleading look he has ever seen.   
  
"Squall think about how your mother is feeling right now. This has been going on for three days and your mother is probably worried about how you two would handle being alone together."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Laguna asked.  
  
Edea glanced at her brother-in law and sighed. "She asked me to call her every day and report to her if there was any progress between you two."  
  
Squall stood in his spot and folded his arms across his chest. "So you are like a spy?"  
  
The dark haired woman shook her head. "No, I am like her sister…Please sit down, Squall." Squall finally obeyed and sat back down. "Look you two, this won't go anywhere if you just stop and listen to each other talk. I think that's the problem you have. You've been spending your time going out to movies and restaurants, with all the noise, instead of being in a quiet place with no distractions to talk things over."  
  
Squall winced, while Laguna put his newspaper down and folded it on his lap. They looked at each other and nodded agreeably, much to Edea's relief. I don't like talking, but she's right, Squall thought.   
  
She is quite correct, Laguna said to himself, as both father and son turned to face each other once again. Edea straightened herself on her chair and waited until she was sure both of them were on the same level and cleared her throat. "Let's try this again. Squall, I want you start telling your father how you've been feeling these last couple of years."  
  
Squall kept his arms folded over his chest and took a deep breath before saying, "I have been feeling angry at you dad for not being there all the time with your family. Sometimes I always feel like I have to watch over Cloud all the time instead of watching out for myself. He needs a father to help him grow up, not his older brother." He stopped and took a deep breath. "That's all," he said, looking down at nothing, trying to avoid eye contact with his father.  
  
"I feel that you are capable enough to take care of your little brother, Squall, which is something I know I don't have…." Laguna paused and shook his head. Suddenly, he slammed a hand down on the table angrily. "This is really stupid Edea!" he spat.  
  
Shocked, Edea looked at him, wide eyed.   
  
Laguna was never the type to lose his temper, but even THIS was ridiculous for him. It felt as though they were being interrogated in a psychiatric hospital! "Listen Squall, do you REALLY want to know why I have been distancing myself from you?"  
  
Squall was taken aback and was forced to keep his mouth shut from his father's outburst. He could hear the wind growing stronger by the minute outside, forcing tree branches to tap restlessly against the windows.  
  
Laguna looked away and stared to his left at the refrigerator. "Every day, you looked exactly like me when I was growing up. When you were a boy, you were always so carefree, smiling with your friends, studying to be the best student in school… just like me when I was young. But there was something different between us… it was the fact that I never got to experience that same feeling you had when I was growing up. Yes, I was carefree, yes I laughed along with my friends and yes I was the straight A student in the school, but when I came home, I was always ambushed by my father and was beaten because he didn't approve of me for some reason. I knew that he hated the fact that I was better than him when he was a child. He was jealous of me… I studied hard during high school, got better and decided to go to a college far away so I wouldn't have to see him…." He took a deep breath and stood up. Laguna headed for the cupboard to grab a glass and to the water dispenser, where he poured himself a cup of water.   
  
"What happened?" Squall asked, feeling his gut wrench with shame for the first time. Edea sat silently, listening intently. That was the first time she has heard his side of the story. She heard most of it from her sister, but never from Laguna.   
  
Laguna put his empty cup down in the sink and turned around to face him. "Well I met your mother and had you, but even then, I couldn't shake the thought of his face, just glaring at me. Remember the first time you spilled ink all over my blueprints?"  
  
Squall thought for a moment. He remembered some parts, but not all of it. He was just six years old the first time he did that. Squall was playing in his father's office, pretending to be like him, but when he reached over to grab a pen, his right elbow accidentally hit the bottle full of ink and it splattered all over his father's orphanage blueprints and the floor. "When I came in, that was the first thing I saw," Laguna said, finishing Squall's train of thought. "I was tired and overly stressed at that time, so I got angry with you." He paused again. Squall wished he didn't do that… it added more anxiety in his throat, making it drier than before. "I looked at you with anger in my eyes, but when I saw your face, I saw myself. I saw the fear in my eyes when my own father was angry with me and when I stopped to think about what I was doing, I saw my right hand raised in the air ready to strike you."   
  
The young man clenched his fists at his sides and looked up. His father was staring at the counter wall in front of him, as if in a trance, but he went on anyway. "For the first time in my life on that night, I was ashamed of who I was. I was ashamed that I was THAT man's son. I couldn't look at you, knowing that if I did, I would feel more shameful." He swallowed hard. "After that, whenever I came home from work, I would look at myself in the mirror in the bathroom, telling myself that I wasn't my dad. I kept telling myself that, but that night would keep playing all over in my head like a broken record, reminding me whose son I really was. So I decided that I should stay away from you for a while, thinking that those memories of his face full of hatred would go away."  
  
"Does mom know about this?" Squall couldn't believe he was even listening to his father's shocking confession, nor even asking about anything at all that concerned his father.  
  
Laguna finally turned to look at him. "Of course she does. I would never keep anything from her… not in a million years. When I told her about this, she was very supportive about it. She was even more supportive when I told her not to tell you until I was ready. And…" He sighed. "I guess now is the time to tell you."  
  
Squall frowned. "Glad you noticed that," he growled, turning his head away from him.  
  
"It was hard for me, Squall. I thought you were too young to know or even understand how I was feeling at that point. I thought you would act rational about it, or even hurt."  
  
Squall kept the frown on his face, looking back at his father. "Rational? I thought you knew me better than that."  
  
His father looked at him. "I guess I didn't… that was one mistake I did. A week ago when you came in, crying and asking me for help about Rinoa, I realized what a mistake I made that by getting rid of the past, I had to ruin my own future with my son."  
  
Squall said nothing.  
  
Laguna walked back to the dining room table and sat back down on his spot across from his son. He glanced at Edea first, then at Squall. "I kept myself busy, usually coming home late and leaving early in the morning for work so I wouldn't have to see your face. I knew that you were angry at me for not being there everyday, but I just couldn't face you. Your eyes, your expressions of determination…It was as if I was looking at my own reflection. It wasn't because I was ashamed of you, Squall. I was ashamed of myself for not being able to stand up to my father when I was a boy. I was ashamed at myself for being weak."  
  
"Why do you need to be ashamed? It's not like I would care whether you stood up to that bastard or not," Squall said quietly. "I just needed a father… And if you told me this sooner…" He was tired of this. He needed to let off some steam…needed Rinoa. She was the only one who could help him deal with this type of problem, but it was quite impossible right now. Right now, he has to deal on how to convince Ian concerning Rinoa's daughter. "If you told me this sooner, I would never have been angry with you… I would have understood." Was he really saying what he thinks he's saying? Was it his voice talking? He couldn't tell, because his ears were ringing.   
  
There was silence once again, in which, after a few seconds, Edea broke. She stood up and went to the kitchen counter and grabbed three mugs from the cabinet. "I'm going to make some coffee. Would you two like some?" She glanced over her shoulder at the silent figures sitting on their chairs.  
  
Laguna stood up, stuffed his hands in his pockets and shook his head. "No thanks, Edea. I think I'm going to go for a walk," he replied, turning around.  
  
Squall looked up and watched his father disappear from the kitchen. He could hear his father's faint footsteps as he crossed the living room and to the front door, where it disappeared right after the door slammed shut.   
  
Edea put one of the coffee mugs back into the cabinet quietly.  
  
  
  
*********************************  
  
  
  
"So, when can I see her?" Rinoa looked up at the sound of Quistis' voice. The blond had sat herself down across from her, putting down her food tray in front of her. She looked at the younger girl, while picking up the sandwich from her plate and taking a bite out of it slowly.  
  
It took a moment for Rinoa to realize what the blond was talking about. "Diana?" It was the first time Quistis had asked to see her daughter. They've known each other for weeks now and not once did the blond asked to see her daughter, except now.  
  
"You want to see her? Why so sudden?" Rinoa watched her suspiciously.  
  
Quistis just shrugged and smiled. "I thought it would be time. How old is she now?" She absent-mindedly fidgeted with the napkin that she took in her hand to wipe her stain filled hands from the mayonnaise that dripped from the sandwich.   
  
Rinoa kept staring at her, trying to figure out the reason of the blonde's sudden idea to see her daughter. "She's going to be turning one next month, why? How come you're suddenly intent on seeing her?"  
  
For the second time, Quistis shrugged. "I just thought maybe I could come with you to your house after school and see her."  
  
The dark haired girl lifted up an eyebrow curiously at the blond. "Why? I thought you have tutorial with Seifer?"  
  
Quistis said nothing. Rinoa wanted to press on the subject with Seifer, but the way the older girl's shoulder tensed and the way her eyes narrowed into thin slits, gave her a reason to change her mind. The dark haired girl nodded. "All right, you can come with me, but you can't stay long though…I have to work around three thirty." She gave Quistis a reassuring smile. The blond gave a short nod, followed by a genuine smile. From where Rinoa sat, she could tell Quistis was relieved she agreed. She may have to wait until the blond was ready to tell her what was going on between her and Seifer.   
  
  
  
************************  
  
They arrived at the house about ten to three. The walk would have been more memorable if the weather wasn't so windy and cold. The girls had to basically bury themselves further into their useless, thin jackets that did not help warm them up. Rinoa assured Quistis that once they got to her house, she was going to make hot cocoa for the both of them. The blond was relieved about Rinoa's promise as she followed the dark haired girl inside the building that Quistis has never been to before.  
  
Rinoa expected to be greeted as usual by Patti. Whenever she came home from school, Patti would be in the kitchen, already making dinner, but something was different as she entered inside the house, followed by the blond. "Patti?" she called. She made her way to the kitchen, but when she didn't see the older woman there, she turned and headed for the living room, where a shadowed figure stood by the fireplace. "Patti…Why is the living room so dark?" She reached beside her on the wall and turned on the light.  
  
Patti looked up, her bushy hair around her face moving to the side. "Rinoa….they came again…" She paused and noticed Quistis standing behind her, then glanced back at the dark haired girl.  
  
Rinoa felt her heart stop. The same fear that surrounded her two weeks ago snaked back into her whole body, making her knees weak and her body shaking. "What?" She didn't want to believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to hear it again. "What are you talking about? She's here isn't she?" Rinoa moved to where the crib was, hoping that Patti was just lying and looked down.   
  
It was empty…   
  
The dark haired girl stood staring at the empty crib. She felt her hands shaking, her eyes still trained on the empty crib. Rinoa suddenly jerked her head to Patti. "Where is she!? Why isn't she here!? Patti, stop joking around with me!" Tears were now visible in her eyes. They all fell like rain down her cheeks and onto the floor.  
  
Patti looked at her sadly. "I'm not joking, Rinoa. They were just so insistent that they took her away. They didn't even turn around to show they showed even the slightest remorse to you…" She closed her lips suddenly when Rinoa sank to the ground, burying her face in her hands.   
  
"Squall…" she mumbled. The same pain she felt that she thought her daughter was taken away was now throbbing even harder. Her heart drowned in all her tears. She needed Squall more than ever now. Rinoa felt arms go around her shoulder and she felt someone pull her into an embrace. She looked up and noticed bushy brown hair surrounding her face.   
  
"It's all right, Rinoa," Patti whispered in her ear. "Everything is going to be all right. I have my faith that Squall will pull through this."  
  
Rinoa did not listen instead she freed herself from Patti's embrace and stood up. Without even acknowledging that Quistis was still there, she walked over to the telephone hanging in the kitchen and dialed a number. Still sobbing, she waited for two rings until a soft, female voice answered on the other line.   
  
"Hello?" the woman on the other side said.  
  
The dark haired girl could not keep herself from weeping. As she opened her mouth to speak, her voice quickly began to shake. "Is-is Squall there p-please?"  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
Raine's eyes furrowed worriedly. "Hello? Who is this?"  
  
The voice on the other line was cracking from what sounded like sobs. Thinking it could be the line at first; Raine pressed the phone harder against her ear and once more said, "Hello? Who is this?"  
  
"It's- Rinoa. I would like to speak w-with Squall p-please…" The girl paused then added, "Th-this is Rinoa. Squall's-Squall's girl-girlfriend…"  
  
Raine's eyes widened. "Rinoa? Is something the matter? What's wrong?"  
  
Then there was silence.  
  
"Rinoa, please answer me," Raine pleaded. "What's happened?"  
  
"They-they took away my-my daughter…" Rinoa answered. "This-this after-afternoon…" Every word was followed by hiccups each time she spoke.   
  
Raine couldn't believe her ears. "But I thought they were fine with you taking care of her?" She thought Laguna handled that already? Did her husband not succeed or did he even try to save her daughter?   
  
Once again there was silence.  
  
"Okay, I'll call Squall, okay?"  
  
"Where is he?" Raine could tell the girl was trying to keep her sobs in check as to not stumble with her words.   
  
"He's…out right now, but I'll call him right now!"  
  
"Okay…" Rinoa hung up the phone without another word. Quickly, Raine pressed on the receiver, and then released it, dialing the number to her husband's cell phone.  
  
  
  
*****************  
  
The night sky was beautiful, if it wasn't for the cold wind that bit him around his face. The stars would have been beautiful if it weren't for that case. Laguna thought about what he had told Squall. Had he done the right thing in telling the whole reason on why he was neglecting his son all these years? Laguna could still see the pain in Squall's eyes when he found out that his father was ignoring him because for that reason alone. He was just about to cross the State Park when he felt his chest vibrating. It took him a moment to realize that it was his cell phone. Laguna never left without a cell phone, in case there was some kind of emergency. Reaching inside his right jacket pocket, he took out his silver Motorola phone.   
  
"Hello?" he answered.  
  
"Laguna!" The man immediately recognized his wife's voice, but he was startled when she suddenly yelled in his ear.   
  
"What is it?"   
  
"Rinoa JUST called and told me they took away her baby."  
  
Laguna's eyes widened. She didn't need to explain who 'they' were and didn't need to explain further about what had happened. He had the idea already that this was going to happen. He was too wrapped up in trying to renew his relationship with his son that he had forgotten about Rinoa's situation. "Damn!" he hissed. "I'll let Squall know." He hung up the phone and dialed a long distance number.   
  
Two rings and a man with a deep voice answered the phone. "Greg Millstone speaking."  
  
Laguna nodded out of nowhere and said, "Hey Greg, this is Laguna. Could you find out a number of me under the name of Ian Adamms in Washington, D.C.?"  
  
"All right, Mayor." With that said, Laguna could immediately hear the sound of fingers banging against a keyboard. Laguna knew that Greg Millstone was fast with his hands on the keyboard and was very intelligent when it came to computers that, seconds after, he came back on the phone. "Ian Adamms, Washington, D.C. 354-8409," he replied with a monotone voice.  
  
"Thanks Greg," Laguna said, hanging up the phone. He went back to his cell phone again and dialed the number Greg told him. Two rings (which seemed to be the routine in Washington these days) and a woman with a thick, Mexican accent answered.   
  
"Adamms residence, how may I help you?"  
  
"Yes, may I speak with the main resident of the household?"  
  
"May I ask who is speaking?" the woman asked.  
  
"I am a Mayor of Seattle, Laguna Loir." There was definite reluctance the way the silence was held, but after a couple of seconds, another woman's voice appeared on the other line.   
  
"Yes, this is Mrs. Adamms."  
  
"Mrs. Adamms, you might remember me when I called a week ago to ask about your husband," Laguna said in a very polite tone.  
  
"Yes I do, Mayor. My husband hasn't returned from his business trip yet and I specifically told your son that he would return in a week," she replied, matching the polite tone with his.   
  
"I am curious Mrs. Adamms… Someone called to inform me that Diana, your husband's child was taken away. I don't remember watching Rinoa signing the agreement of sharing custody with your husband. The Social Services wouldn't even take the child away without the mother present, then that would be called kidnapping."  
  
There was silence in the other line.  
  
Laguna pressed on. "I should know, because I promised the Seattle Court House that I would be Rinoa's lawyer, even if she didn't know it. Tell me the truth Mrs. Adamms. Where did your husband REALLY go?"  
  
There was a sigh, before she said, "He went go to see his daughter back in Seattle. He told me not to tell anyone about it."  
  
"Are you aware about what you are saying Mrs. Adamms? Are you telling me that you're husband decided to…?" Laguna stopped, when he heard footsteps behind him. He jerked his head around and noticed Squall standing there, his clenched fists. "I'll have to call you back." He hung up the phone and put it back inside his jacket pocket. "Squall…"  
  
Squall looked up, his eyes full of tears. "Where is he now?" he growled, clenching and unclenching his fists a couple of times at his side.   
  
Laguna shrugged. "No idea, but from what his wife told me, he's back in Seattle, but I got more bad news…" His son braced himself for the 'bad news' he was going to tell him as Laguna took a deep breath. "Rinoa just called home looking for you. Your mother answered and told her what had happened…." He took another deep breath. "Diana is missing, but they think the social services took her."  
  
Squall's eyes widened his face in a mixture of shock and anger. "Are you telling me that Ian would go as far as to kidnap his own daughter from her mother!?"  
  
"That's the only conclusion I can think of…"  
  
They stood like that for a moment, silence once again filling the air. Both of them were too busy rummaging through their brains trying to figure out what to do, until Squall turned around and headed back to the Kramer house. Laguna knew exactly what he was thinking, but he decided to ask to make sure. "Where are you going?"  
  
Squall, without looking back said, "I'm going back to Seattle and do whatever it takes to get Diana back!" Just thinking of Rinoa crying in her sleep made his heart ache as he crossed the street and headed down the road without caring that he was walking in the middle of it. Laguna sighed and followed his son back to the main path.  
  
GoodGurl: There you have it folks! Another twist in the story to keep you guys reading for more! Oh yes you noticed it WASN'T a tear jerker after all! ;) I was just exaggerating! Woohoo and I'm finished this chapter! This story may have more chapters than I expected but oh well! All the more to be wrapped up in! ^^ 


	29. Thank You

Note: WARNING this is quite limey! This is because this chapter deals with teenagers and….*ahem* sex. So please be warned, that if you're not old enough to watch movies that implies sex, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO READ THIS…..@_@ Thank you! Anyway, in this chapter is basically on Zell and Selphie where they have to deal with trying to keep themselves in control…Oh yes just to note, that Selphie's brother is Garrett…not to confuse you or anything because I know before on the earlier chapter I said his name is 'Cameron.' It's Garrett….my ever so famous name! ^^   
  
  
  
Chapter 29 – Thank You…   
  
  
  
They were kissing and touching. She was going crazy over his kisses-- his touches. He was going crazy on how soft she was under him. Nothing mattered anymore as long as they were together. He could hear her moan his name, her soft, gentle tone which was making him drive even mad with passion. He felt her hands on his chest. He began sliding the straps of her tank off her shoulders and then… His body flew backwards.   
  
"What the-?" He blinked and looked up. The blond was now sitting on the floor, his eyes curiously glancing up at the brunette now moving to look at him from her bed.   
  
She rubbed her neck nervously and mumbled an apology. "Sorry! I guess I pushed you too hard…" Selphie got off of her bed and looked at him with a gaze that was now driving him off the wall. He loved that gaze. In their early teens, when she looked at him with those piercing green eyes, Zell wanted nothing more than to kiss her all over.   
  
The blond helped himself up from the floor and dusted off invisible dust off of his pants and grinned, shaking his head. "No don't be sorry… It's my fault. I guess I got carried away."  
  
Selphie giggled. She walked up to him and took his hands in hers. "I guess we BOTH got carried away." Suddenly, she looked down, as if ashamed to look at him and then she lifted up her head to stare into his eyes. "Zell, I think it's too early for this."  
  
Zell stared back…totally clueless. "Too early for what?"  
  
Selphie's face turned a deep shade of crimson red. "You know… sex." The last word, she had to mumble, because she was still too uncomfortable to say it, even if she was old enough to.  
  
Zell's face turned redder than Selphie's. He looked away, still feeling the heat in his face. "You're…you're right." The blond looked back and grinned, squeezing Selphie's hands. He lifted them up to his lips and kissed them lightly.  
  
The brunette's heart pounded. The way he kissed her hands, was making her melt. Now she wanted him even more but… She has to control herself. She has to stop thinking of Zell THAT way and focus more on their growing relationship. It WAS a bit early for them to be doing what her parents taught her will not be doing until they were old enough. "Selphie?" She looked up at the sound of Zell's soft voice.  
  
Zell smiled and put her hands back down. He took her right hand and began pulling her out of their room. "How about we go out for a little walk? It's a nice day outside and it'll give us a chance to see people…What do you think?" He stopped just at the top of the stairs to look at her.  
  
Selphie nodded. "Sure! But…" She thought of an idea to keep her mind off of THAT and decided to pull her hand from her boyfriend's grasp. "Tag!" A little playful tag couldn't hurt. It would help her recover from the passion she knew she had to stop herself from. She ran passed him, down the stairs and out the door she went.   
  
It took a moment for Zell to realize that she was serious. "Tag!?" he yelled. He ran after her out the door. "Tag is for kids!" He scoffed, when he saw her standing by the tree of their front yard. "Why did you suddenly decide to play that game?" Selphie didn't answer instead she gave him a smirk that Zell found rather cute, but sometimes annoying. Whenever she did that, Zell knew Selphie had something 'evil' planned. "Oh, so you have something planned? What's the catch?"  
  
Selphie grinned. "I don't know. Maybe if you don't catch me, I'll have to make you WEAR a tie to the dance!" She turned and began running away, down the street. The brunette turned just in time to see Zell running after her in full speed. She let out a tiny squeak and decided to raise the steaks a little and ran for the nearest park.  
  
"A tie!?" Zell KNEW there was a catch involved somewhere in this little game of tag of theirs. "You are NOT making me wear a tie! Come back here Tilmitt!"  
  
Selphie giggled as she stepped over the sandbox that was probably full of cat droppings, careful not to touch anything that may end up stuck in under her shoes. She ran pass the swings and into the open area of the park. There was nothing but silence. It was such a beautiful day and it was a good thing Zell suggested a little walk in the park. She slowed down and watched some birds making sweet songs to one another, chirping as if calling for their mate. She was unaware that Zell was closing in on her. Selphie was too engulfed in the beautiful sounds the robins were making up in the tree that she didn't realize the long arms that went around her waist and the force that forced her down on the green grass. She yelped and found herself trapped in between Zell and the ground.   
  
"Got you!" Zell said, grinning.  
  
Selphie laughed, lifting up a hand to remove a leaf that got stuck on his hair and threw it at the side. "I guess you did!"  
  
They stared at each other. And just before they both had a chance to stop themselves, Zell and Selphie's lips locked once again in a passion that seems to last forever. Zell pulled away first, giving himself and Selphie room to breathe. "I thought we weren't ready yet?" He removed himself from on top of Selphie and helped her up on her feet.   
  
Selphie brushed dirt off of her clothes and smiled, nodding her head in agreement. "Yeah…I've never felt this way about a guy before…" She paused and swallowed nervously. Even if she grew up with Zell and was now her boyfriend, this was her first time actually expressing her feelings about sex.   
  
"Neither have I…" Selphie must have misunderstood what he said, because she looked up at him, wide-eyed. "No! No! I mean not a guy! Of course a girl! Geez, Selph you should know what I mean!" Zell's face turned a crimson red as he turned his face away from her.   
  
Selphie giggled. Having to go on tip toes, she gave Zell a kiss on the cheek. "I was just joking, Zell! You're so cute when you're nervous."  
  
The blond sighed and grabbed her hand. "How about we just sit down on the ground and take a little breather?" The brown haired girl knew what Zell was talking about and when Selphie nodded, he sat down on the ground with his back resting against the tree and pulled her with him. He crossed his legs together so that Selphie could sit on his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. Selphie felt his warm breath tickling his neck as she allowed her head to rest on his shoulder.   
  
"How long do you think we will last?" Selphie asked suddenly.  
  
It took a moment for Zell to realize what her question meant, when he felt his heart pounding as if it was going to jump right through his skin. "Um… I don't know." He didn't know how to answer that type of question. Zell took a deep breath and said, "To be honest I can't wait, but I will if you want to. Selphie if you want to wait, we can. I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to do."  
  
Selphie sighed, looked down and curled her fingers in his. "I'm glad…I want to do it after the dance…" His fingers were so warm against hers and sitting on his lap felt a lot more wonderful. She wanted to do it with him…and no one else. "I want you to show me the world through you…" She began kissing the tips of his fingers.  
  
The blonde's eyes widened, his heart pounding and his skin crawling with a feeling he has never felt before. "What?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you serious?" He was shocked to hear those words from Selphie…his best friend…his girlfriend.   
  
The brown haired girl looked up, her eyes piercing through his. She didn't care. She wanted to be with him. Doing it would tie them together. She almost lost him and maybe…maybe making love to him will give her comfort and the confirmation that he will never disappear from her sight. "I don't want to lose you again, Zell…" There were tears in her eyes now. She grasped her hands tightly around his.   
  
Zell removed his hands from hers and gently put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "What are you talking about? You NEVER lost me…" he whispered in her ear. Then he heard her whimper. "Selphie? Oh geez…" He moved away from her so that he could look at her. "Come on don't cry!"  
  
Selphie wiped the tears from her eyes with her hands hastily. "Sorry…I can't help it. I just…" She looked up, her eyes now red from crying. "I thought you DIED…even if that was a month ago, I can't help but think about that time when you were shot and-!" She was interrupted when Zell placed a soft kiss on her lips.   
  
No words were said that time. His kisses felt wonderful against her lips and Selphie immediately forgot what she was talking about. She moved closer so that they were now locked in an embrace while they sat on the ground. Zell moved nearer, closing the gap between them until he felt Selphie's heaving chest against his. "Selphie…" Zell moaned. He pulled away from her and locked gaze with her, giving Selphie a reassuring stare. "I want to respect our love, so I think we should wait. Even if we decide not to do it in any night, you should know that I won't ever leave your side."   
  
Selphie smiled and moved to kiss him again. She couldn't get enough of it. "No…Let's do it." She moved closer so that Zell was forced to lie down on his back on the cold grass with Selphie hovering on top of him. "I want you take me here…right now… Please just take me here." She loved him. She was willing to do whatever it takes to prove to him that she did. They were going to graduate soon, maybe in the point of their relationship there was going to be a big fight that would involve breakup and she couldn't have that! NO!   
  
Zell kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her against him so her weight was now on him. He could feel her heaving chest as their kisses grew more intense. It was really wrong to be making love in the middle of the day in the park, but the blonde couldn't take it anymore. She was willing. He wanted it, but… It suddenly dawned on him… They didn't have anything for protection. The blond opened his eyes and gently sat up, pushing Selphie away from him. "We can't Selphie…" He shook his head. He couldn't believe what he was doing! Any man would be willing to give up to any woman's needs, but this…This was really wrong. They were both too young to be doing something that could ruin both their lives. That meant pregnancy if they weren't careful. Another thing was that if she got pregnant with him…who knows what Garrett would do. He shuddered at the thought. "We don't have any protection right now. If we're not careful, you could get pregnant."  
  
That little information made Selphie realize that Zell was right. "Oh…What if I get protection? Will that be okay?" She jumped up and down excitedly, as if a little child excited to be getting presents for her birthday.  
  
Was Zell hearing right? Was Selphie…the innocent and carefree Selphie saying these things from her own mouth? "Uh…Selphie…I don't think…" He stopped when Selphie suddenly looked up at him with a serious look in her eyes. The most serious look he has ever seen on her.  
  
"I thought you were a guy, Zell? I thought you would take any girl who would be willing to give herself away for you?" She gave a pout that drove Zell insane just looking at her lips and gave him the urge to want to kiss the bottom of it. When Selphie didn't hear any protests coming from him, she moved closer to him once again.   
  
Still, Zell pushed her away. "Selphie, I thought you knew me better than that? I may be a guy, but I'm not the type of guy who would just jump at the chance to sleep with you… I want it to be special for us. I want to do it in a special place where only we can do it… I don't want to just do it all over the place…"  
  
Selphie frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "You're sounding like a woman…"  
  
The blond lifted up an eyebrow, copying Selphie the way she was folding her arms across her chest. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"   
  
The brown haired girls sighed and shook her head, smiling. "No, you're right. I got carried away and you're right…it should be in a special place for our first time. And it should be at the right moment…I can wait." She moved closer again but instead of kissing him like she was doing earlier, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head in his chest.   
  
"Good," he whispered. Zell wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against hers. Suddenly, the sun disappeared from the sky, replacing it now with dark clouds. The blond knew it was time to leave. "You want to go? It's about to rain."  
  
Selphie nodded. She waited until Zell stood up first before she lend out a hand for him to take so he could help her up. Zell clasped his hand around hers and they both walked out of the park and back to the direction of the Tilmitt home. As soon as they reached the end of the road towards the next street, the rain began to pour madly. "Come on! We're going to be soaking wet if we don't hurry!" Zell yelled through the thick fog that formed around them. He tugged at Selphie's hand to make her run faster and she immediately obeyed.   
  
They ran through the thick set of rain that fell heavily upon them. Zell could hear Selphie laughing behind him. They were just turning another street, when he felt his girlfriend's hand loose against his. Curious, he turned and noticed her standing there, stifling a giggle. "What?" Zell asked, quite annoyed.  
  
Selphie pointed to something above him. "Your hair!"  
  
Zell lifted up his hand to feel something smooth on top of his head. It took him a while to realize that Selphie hasn't seen him with his hair slicked down so of course she would find it funny. The blonde's hair was usually up in a spiky do to compliment the tattoo on his face. "Oh come on, it's not THAT funny!" He folded his arms across his chest and frowned.  
  
"Well I haven't seen your hair like that ever since we were six!" She walked up to him and ran a hand through his blond hair. "It's really cute! Why don't you have your hair like that at the dance?"  
  
The blond thought for a moment. Come to think of it, she was right. He was six when his hair was short and slick, but as he grew up he allowed his hair to grow so that he could spike his hair up just like his favorite rock singer, Strife. "I don't think so," Zell finally said, commenting on what Selphie said about wearing his hair back at the dance. "I'd kill myself before you force me to wear my hair like this at the dance…" he mumbled.  
  
Those last words touched a nerve in Selphie. Zell didn't realize it until she walked passed him and headed back on her own to her house. She was just about to open the door when she felt Zell's hand on her shoulder. "Selphie?" he sighed. "What did I say now?"  
  
Selphie turned to face him. Zell couldn't tell whether her face was wet with tears or the rain, but even then, the blond didn't have time to think about it. He decided to think of them as tears. However to his surprise, she just smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Startled, Zell placed his right foot behind him to keep him and her balanced at the top of the stairs. "Thank you…" she whispered in her ear. She loved him very much and she didn't need to explain to him why she said it, because Zell already understood with the way he embraced her in return.   
  
Zell closed his eyes and smiled, knowing what she meant with those words. "You welcome," he murmured back. He was the first one to pull away from their embrace. Zell backed away, taking her hands in his and caressed it for a while. They stood silently, staring at their intertwined fingers. The blond looked up and made a move to kiss her, but a banging sound startled the two of them from their trance.  
  
"HEY!" Garrett appeared from behind Selphie, tall and lean. He rested his elbow on the doorway and stared at the two suspiciously. "Where have you two been?"  
  
They just ignored him and smiled at each other. "So I guess I'll see you at school?" Zell said, letting go of her hands. When Selphie nodded, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, before giving Garrett a look of sarcastic disgust. "I won't be seeing you!" he joked.  
  
Selphie laughed as she watched him leave. Zell stopped, turned and winked at her before he made his way to his house right next door.   
  
"Good! Like I want to…" Garrett replied with the same sarcastic tone, followed by a full hearted laughter. Selphie turned and sighed, punching her older brother playfully in the arm and then closed the door behind her.  
  
  
  
********************  
  
  
  
There were moments where large, expensive presents excited ANYONE, but as soon as they were opened, it wasn't expensive or large at all and these were one of them…   
  
Selphie and Zell stood outside of Balamb High quite excited to be back to school but quite nervous about what people would say when they see them. From what Quistis told Selphie, rumors began to spread about Zell's brush with death because he was dealing drugs. Selphie wasn't sure what the outcome of the rumor is now, but they knew they had to be brave about it if they were to catch up with school work. "Are you ready?" she asked, turning her head towards the blond. Zell turned with a grin, but Selphie could tell he was as nervous as her and just thinking about that created a lump in Selphie's throat.   
  
Together, as the bell rang, they marched into the building. To their surprise, no one seemed to notice that they had come back after almost a month of absence. But it was better for the both of them as not to cause any commotion, especially from those who knew Kent and who were big fans of him. Beside her, Selphie could hear Zell let out a sigh of relief. She found it rather cute so she took his hand in hers and smiled at him. "Are you okay?" she asked.  
  
Zell smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine…"  
  
"Zell! Selphie!" Before Selphie had a chance to turn around and find out who it was, someone's long arms had wrapped itself around her shoulders, pulling her in for an embrace. "I've missed you guys!" The same arms let go and then went around Zell. It was then, that Selphie was able to see who it was.   
  
"Quisty!" She giggled when the blond turned and gave her the 'don't call me Quisty' look. "You don't need to be overdramatic! We talk on the phone a lot of times!" Selphie let out another giggle. Zell wished he could just take her in his arms and hear those giggles in his own ears while he kissed her neck.  
  
The blond girl nodded. "Yeah, I know! But that was just the phone. I haven't seen you guys in person…"  
  
Selphie never thought about that.  
  
"Hey you two!" Zell and Selphie both turned around to see who was talking to them now. Ms. Fisher, now sporting a new long brown coloured hair look approached them, two thick math text books clutched in her hands. From what Selphie could see, they seemed to be what the seniors use for their math class. The brown haired girl was a lot more surprised with the fact that those books were what they were going to be using next year, than the fact that Ms. Fisher had loads and loads of math homework for them to do.   
  
"Hi Ms. Fisher!" Zell and Selphie replied in unison.  
  
Ms. Fisher gave them a smile. "It's been a long time… How are you guys holding up?" She knew the whole story about Zell almost dying in Selphie's arms when he was shot and how Zell was suspended after that, while Selphie INSISTED that she be suspended with him. She didn't need to spell it out for them about what she meant.   
  
Zell was the one who answered. "Fine, Ms. Fisher." He couldn't wait to play football again, but he knew that he would have to start all over again to prove to the coach that he was capable enough to throw a football around and that he was cured of his addicting habit. It was all thanks to Selphie.   
  
"Could you two stop by after school today so I can give you your homework?" the young teacher asked, adjusting the books in her arms. Quistis offered to help her with them, but Ms. Fisher just shook her head and rejected the offer with a smile. The blond nodded, but she seemed disappointed. "I know I should give you your homework after class today, but I have a lot of catching up to do with the senior classes so…"   
  
"Sure!" Selphie replied rather enthusiastically. Well, they shouldn't blame her. She didn't like doing homework, but it would help her get rid of the lusty thoughts that were beginning to form in her mind about Zell.   
  
The blond man gave a grin and just nodded absent-mindedly.   
  
"Great! See you in class!" Once again, she adjusted the books in her arms and left for class. Zell, Selphie and Quistis watched her disappear, before turning to each other to continue their conversation that Ms. Fisher interrupted, but even then, the thought of having homework from the young teacher was brought up in the conversation they never thought possible.   
  
Zell stuffed his hands in his jean pockets. "Great…" he mumbled. "How many pages of homework do we have, Quis?" Selphie looked at the blond woman as well.  
  
"Three pages, fifty-eight questions altogether," was Quistis' sudden reply.  
  
Both Zell and Selphie were surprised. "You counted?" Selphie asked, her eyes widening in shock. "I didn't think ANYONE, even as smart as you would count something…like…" She stopped when Quistis gave her a glare that could melt a hundred kilometers of snow. "That…" Selphie grinned. "Well, we were just surprised…" Maybe it was the time to change the subject. "So you excited about the dance?" Next week was the big dance and the big sign on the wall in front of her confirmed it.  
  
Quistis just shrugged. "I guess…" She didn't seem to be too enthusiastic with the idea of the dance as Zell and Selphie both noted.  
  
"How can you not be excited? You're going with Seifer aren't you?" Selphie suddenly asked, feeling like she was invading Quistis' privacy, but she was her friend. She had every right to ask her about it…right? She watched as the tall blond girl turned away, frowning. Selphie stared at her curiously and before she had to a chance to ask anymore, someone's deep unfamiliar voice with a heavy French accent boomed in the hallway.  
  
"Quistis, Mon chere!" Selphie and Zell both looked up to see a tall stranger, about six foot one, a little shorter than Seifer wrap his arms around the blond girl. The two stared at each other, and then back at Quistis, giving the blond a questioning gaze.   
  
The blond grinned nervously. "Hah hah…Hi, Jacque, I didn't see you…come…"  
  
"Ah! Who is zis?" The man named Jacque stepped in front of Selphie and suddenly grabbed her hand. He made to kiss the back of it, when another hand yanked Selphie's back gently as if careful not to harm the girl. Zell's eyes were ready to pop out of its sockets, while his fists were clenched, its veins ready to pop out as well.   
  
"MY name is Zell!" The blond man spoke, protectively stepping in between the tall man and Selphie. "This is Selphie…my girlfriend! And you are?" He glared at the tall man and despite his height, Zell's look of intimidation was there and Jacque knew him as the football player whom Brandy explained to him about and he knew better than to mess with him, he took a step back and grinned.   
  
"I apologize for being rude. I did not know…" Jacque took a step back and wrapped his arm back around Quistis.   
  
Selphie looked at Zell, bewildered. She was too shocked to see Zell jealous so much of another guy that she was unable to utter a word. The brown haired girl turned her attention back towards Quistis and gave her a questioning gaze. Quistis just shrugged and mouthed, 'Later' to her. The younger girl nodded and took her boyfriend's hand to calm him down. Eventually, he did when he felt her soft hand and his veins went back to normal. Zell had a temper, Selphie knew and she was the only one who could bring him back to normal.   
  
There was awkward silence between the four of them and Jacque knew from what Selphie could see that he was uninvited in this conversation. He cleared his throat and affectionately ruffled Quistis' hair before leaving with a little nod towards the other two. "I cannot wait for ze dance, my Quistis!" he said in his usual thick French accent.   
  
"I don't like him," Zell mumbled, folding his arms across his chest.  
  
Selphie ignored him and considered the tall blond girl instead. "What's going on? You're going to the dance with…him? Who was that? I haven't seen him around…" She glanced ahead to the hallway where he disappeared as if afraid that he was going to appear again- no one could blame her, he did it just minutes ago as if he was a magician. "And what happened to Seifer? I thought you were going with him?" That question must have touched a nerve to the blond because Selphie noticed the way Quistis' shoulders tensed.   
  
However, Quistis answered her question anyway. "You heard him…"  
  
Selphie and Zell looked at each other. "You mean you're going to the dance with that….guy?" Zell asked, starting to feel irritated again after mentioning the guy's name. "I don't like him…"   
  
"Zell, you already said that," the brown haired girl said. "Quistis, I don't get it…I thought you and Seifer were doing fine? I thought you two already planned on going together?"   
  
The blond sighed. "Even if I go with Jacque you already know that I am not too excited to go. I WAS going with him, but something came up. I would have been more than excited to go with…Seifer…" Quistis said the last sentence rather quietly, followed by a blush.  
  
"Then why did you agree to go with this guy?" was Zell's question, unaware of Quistis' blush. He was looking around, watching out for that Jacque guy again in case he pops out of nowhere.  
  
Quistis pursed her lips together, but Selphie knew what that meant… "Oooooohhhhh!" the brown haired girl said, stifling a giggle. Zell looked at her curiously, but chose not to ask. He knew it was a girl thing. He glanced at the blond for answers, but Quistis just shrugged and turned around.  
  
"Well, we better get to class or we'll be late…"  
  
"What are you talking about, Quisty? The bell didn't even…" Suddenly the sound of the bell interrupted her train of thought. Selphie gasped in alarm when she heard it and looked up at the blond girl walking away from them.   
  
"Woah…she's good," Selphie could hear Zell mumble.   
  
"Well you can stop swooning and start walking!" She grabbed Zell's hand and pulled him with her as they walked down the now noisy hall. Students weren't paying much attention to them as usual and even then, the pair was starting to get used to that idea. It was better than a hundred pairs of eyes staring at them. Zell's hand felt so warm against hers and she wished that…   
  
"Uh…Selph? Where are we going? The class is…that way…"   
  
"Huh?" Selphie looked up and noticed Zell pointing to somewhere to their left. She followed it and noticed that the class they were supposed to be going to was on the opposite side to where they stopped. She was thinking so much of Zell lately that all she wanted to do with him was… "Well, I was thinking…" She turned and began twirling a strand of his spiky blond hair around her finger. "We can start 'warming' ourselves up…" She couldn't help it. When he 'rescued' her from Jacque's attempts to kiss her hand and when he was suddenly jealous of the guy, it made her feel….Selphie suddenly blushed. What was wrong with her? She's never felt this way before…  
  
Zell swallowed….as if he just swallowed a large peanut that got stuck in his throat. He felt his face go red. "What?"  
  
Selphie shrugged and took his hands. "I guess I just don't feel like going to class right now. Besides…" She looked at her watch. "We have ten minutes before Ms. Fisher gets to class. You know how late she usually is…" She was blushing too, because she couldn't believe she was being confident about this.  
  
The blond looked at her. Was he really looking at the real Selphie right now? 'Who cares! She's willing to give everything to you!' the voice in his head screamed. "Oh hell…" He was now caught. Was she seriously seducing him? "Fine… What do you want to do?" He already knew the answer to that, but he had to make sure first.  
  
Selphie grabbed his hand again and began pulling him with her. She led him down the hall and just when Zell was about to ask where they were going, they suddenly stopped right in front of the girls' bathroom. Zell looked at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? The girls' bathroom? Why?" He looked around; making sure no one was around.  
  
"Who cares!" Shocked, Zell found himself being pulled by Selphie at the collar of his sweatshirt, while she roughly pressed her lips together with his. Zell kissed her in return and wrapped his arms around her waist. Careful not to lose their balance, they each took a step, as if dancing and their bodies pushed the door open. Zell stopped, allowing him and Selphie to breathe from their kiss and looked around.   
  
"Wait, we have to make sure no one's here…" He let go of her and looked around, opening each bathroom stall to make sure no one was there and to his relief, no one was there. He gave a Selphie an 'ok' sign and grinned. Zell was about to say something, when Selphie lunged herself forward in his arms. He had to hold on to her so tightly so they both wouldn't go fall off.   
  
"Let's go in one of these stalls, in case someone might come in and sees us," Selphie murmured under his kisses. Zell nodded and led her to the direction of the first stall nearby. He opened the door with a quick push of his hand and they both stepped inside, their kisses growing intense each second. "Hang on I want to try something…" Selphie whispered. She removed her lips from his and pushed the toilet seat cover down, then proceeded to kiss Zell. "Sit down," she murmured, smiling.  
  
Zell nodded and sat down, while at the same time kissing Selphie's soft lips. She sat down on his lap and they continued their exploration of one another with their kisses and their touches. Just then, they heard the door of the bathroom opening. Footsteps suddenly echoed around them. Zell and Selphie quickly removed their lips from one another and looked at each other. They could hear at least two or three girls in the bathroom, chatting away about the dance and about the guys they were going with.   
  
About two minutes later, the blond's legs were starting to feel numb from Selphie's weight. He wanted so bad to make her stand up so he could stretch them, but if he made her move, then it would drop all the attention from what the girls were talking about and focus on the pairs of feet and- "What the-?" Damn! Too late, Zell thought.   
  
"Damn! That girl's feet are huuuuuuuuge! It looks as though they could be a guy's feet!" one of the girls said.  
  
Zell's eyes turned into thin slits. Could be???? He could feel Selphie giggling as he tightened his grip around her waist so she wouldn't fall. The blond glared at her, which immediately stopped Selphie's silent laughs. He sighed and they continued to listen.  
  
"Maybe that girl's a tomboy and she seems to be sitting awkwardly on the toilet…What a weirdo!" Finally, they could hear the fading of the footsteps and the echoes of the girls' laughter as it disappeared behind the closed door. Sighing, Selphie stood up and began laughing.  
  
"Crap! I have to go to the bathroom!" Zell suddenly said. "Can you quickly leave the stall so I can go?"  
  
"I can't! What if another girl shows up and sees me with you?" Selphie was suddenly blushing.  
  
"Just turn around then!" Zell was getting tired of this. Why he agreed to this in the first place, he may never know. He waited until Selphie turned around to unzip his pants, while reaching down with his other hand to lift up the seat.   
  
Then…The door opened again. "Oh no!" Selphie quickly turned and placed a hand on Zell's shoulder. Zell didn't have time to go at all so he swiftly zipped up his pants and, before Selphie could warn him, decided to stand up on top of the toilet seat. Forgetting that he lifted up the seat, his right leg immediately went straight through the shoot. Zell swore underneath his breath, while Selphie looked at him helplessly.   
  
The single footsteps were just turning the corner now. Now, she was passing the second stall, just before the one they were on. Selphie had to think of something quick, before they were found out. "Selphie!" Out of nowhere, Zell's voice grew louder. Selphie looked down at the feet fearfully and was hoping the girl didn't hear that, but unfortunately, she noticed the girl had stopped right in front of their stall, but her back towards them. "Selphie it's stuck!"  
  
It was too late now. There was no point in hiding it any longer. Selphie sighed and looked down at Zell's leg. "Can't you get it out?"  
  
"I can't! It's REALLY stuck in there!"  
  
Meanwhile, the girl listening felt her face grow hot, obviously thinking of something else when she heard these words coming out from the two. She felt her face go even hotter when she realized that the other person talking IN the girls' bathroom stall was indeed a guy.   
  
"How can it be stuck in there?" the girl's voice said. "It's pretty small!"  
  
The girl gulped nervously. How on earth can they talk like that in here of all places!?   
  
"It's not small! Look at it!"  
  
There was silence, which confirmed the girl that whoever was forced to look was looking at 'it' now. Nervous beads of sweat fell around her face. "How can it be small when a lot of bigger things go in there!?"  
  
Another nervous sweat fell from her face. Damn, these people were gross! Can't they talk dirty some place else? She can't concentrate on fixing her hair if they were going to talk like that….them kissing silently in the stall would have been much better.   
  
"Here just hold on and I'll pull it out," the girl said.  
  
The girl listening with long red hair gulped again. She tried to look at herself in the mirror to focus on something else, but even then, she could see two pairs of feet reflecting back at her, moving around. Why wasn't she saying something? She had the right to tell them to stop whatever they were doing…. But all she ended up doing was stand there and freeze in her spot.  
  
"No good, we need someone's help," the girl finally said.  
  
The red head closed her eyes. 'Oh God I hope they don't come out asking for MY help!' she thought. 'Please not me! Please not me!'  
  
"Hey! We don't need anyone's help!" She could hear the guy's voice pleading. Selphie! Come on! We can do this together!"  
  
Then, the bathroom stall opened. Selphie glanced around and noticed the red head standing there, frozen. She didn't seem to realize that all this time, the girl standing by the mirror was listening to their conversation. "Hey…Excuse me?"  
  
The girl buried her head in shame and turned around slowly. She looked up in surprise when what she expected wasn't what she expected at all. The girl came out of the bathroom stall. She was two years older than her (though by her height and stature, didn't seem like she was), with bouncy brown hair and deep green eyes. She went by the name of Selphie, as mentioned by the guy and was looking at her with a pleading look while hanging on to a leg which belonged to the guy with spiky blond hair and blue eyes. He was kneeling on floor on one knee while his leg was stuck inside the toilet.  
  
Selphie grinned nervously. "Um…could you help us out? My boyfriend's leg is stuck in the toilet…" Zell sighed, his own nervous beads of sweat falling around his face.  
  
The girl nodded absent-mindedly, though part of her wanted to kick herself for thinking of such nasty thoughts.   
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Gahahahahaha wasn't that an interesting ending for the chapter? It went from serious to total comedy! ^^ Well, stay tuned and see what happens to Zell's brush with death at the toilet! LOL! And I scared you guys from the beginning too! HEE HEE! ME EVIL!!!!!!!!! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! 


	30. Out Of Reach

Note: Sorry for making you guys wait…as usual! ^^; But anyways, here is the Seiftis chapter you've been waiting for! *thumbs up* Here is also…dum dum dum! Seifer's reaction to the news that Quistis is planning on going with that French Id….I mean *ahem* with Jacque….*grins* Oh yeah, I think this story will go to more than chapter 30…@_@  
  
Chapter 30 – Out Of Reach   
  
  
  
It took her a while to get it through her head about what Selphie just told her about her and Zell's little demise, until she remembered laughing that time. Quistis couldn't help but laugh again and see that same memory in her head, forcing Selphie to look up with a frown. "You know it wasn't THAT funny…"   
  
The blond gave her an apologetic look and smiled, trying not to laugh again. "Come on, Selphie admit it! If it happened to someone you would've laughed too!" Quistis clasped at her aching stomach placed a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing too loudly.  
  
Selphie thought about it for a moment and realized her friend was right, suddenly smiling at the idea of maybe Brandy and her boyfriend in the same predicament. "Hah! Hah! You are SO right!"  
  
"Where did Zell go?" Quistis suddenly asked, now calmed from laughing so hard.  
  
"He went home to get changed, but he'll be back during lunch time," Selphie replied, looking at everyone in the class who were whispering and wondering what had happened to Zell's pants when they saw him walking down the hall.   
  
"All right, class! Settle down! Settle down!" Mr. Cutty, the Biology teacher came into the room a couple seconds later after the bell. With his loud voice, the class noise immediately died down. He took a quick scan in the room, making sure everyone was present and to his relief, NO ONE was absent. "I'm glad everyone is here…for once." He turned around to face the board. "Right now we're going to dissect a frog, please take out your Biology book for the instructions."  
  
Everyone fished in their bags for their books, except Quistis, who had her hand raised. Mr. Cutty noticed this after he wrote out the pages on the blackboard. "Yes, Ms. Trepe?"  
  
"I forgot my text book in my locker."  
  
"Surprise, surprise," Brandy said out loud from the front seat of the class.   
  
Mr. Cutty ignored the usual mocking tone in Brandy's voice. It was always the same with the girl and if he didn't ignore it, it would drive him insane. People like her were always the type to reach the top, despite being mean to the outcasts and it annoyed him the most. "You will share with Ms. Tilmitt," he said. He knew he shouldn't have said that, because he always saw Quistis with her own text book while taking out some yellow post it notes stuffed inside, already filled with notes from before.   
  
"You know, I can't Mr. Cutty," Quistis said, looking at her teacher eagerly. She just couldn't work without a text book, probably one of the reasons why she was thought of as 'eccentric' but she didn't care. She didn't care that Brandy was pointing and laughing at her in disbelief and there were times that Quistis imagined her to be allergic to frogs and would have red eyes, nose and ears to prove that. If only she was some kind of witch to conjure up that evil idea.   
  
Mr. Cutty nodded and waved his hand to dismiss her. "All right, all right, you can go get it."  
  
Brandy's smile disappeared, replaced by a look of disgust as Quistis stood up and left for her locker. The blond felt satisfaction at that look on Brandy's face as she walked down the hall to head towards her locker. It was really quiet in the hallway, which was obvious because everyone was already in class, having their usual lectures with either math, biology, English and other academic courses. Outside, it was nice and sunny and Quistis figured the Physical Education classes were probably out in the field.   
  
The blond girl approached her locker and began turning the dial of her lock to its right numbers, until at the corner of her eye, she noticed someone approaching. At first she ignored it, but when she noticed something familiar about the man's coat, she had no choice but to look up and see Seifer approaching her. "What do you want now, Seifer?" she asked, before he neared her.  
  
Seifer said nothing; instead he leaned his back against one of the lockers to Quistis' left and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I guess you decided to go with that jerk, after all," he said, spitefully.  
  
Quistis pulled out her Biology text book and closed her locker. "Jacque is not a jerk. And yes I decided to go with him. I don't need your approval on who I should go to the dance with."  
  
Without a word, he turned to face the locker and before he could stop himself, punched the locker as hard as he could, leaving a dent. Startled, Quistis jumped back, tightening her grip around her book and looked at Seifer curiously. Seifer looked up and stared intently into her eyes. "Then I guess I'm not in your way anymore…" With that said he turned, stuffed his hands in his pockets once more and left.  
  
Quistis watched him leave. The way he looked at her left a curious expression on the blond girl's face. She never wished for him to move out of her way. She never wanted that. She didn't even want to hurt him…Not to someone she… The blond shook her head and pivoted around to head back to her Biology class.  
  
  
  
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Seifer didn't show up to Math class with Ms. Fisher and that put a suspicion in the blond girl that he wasn't going to show up after school for their tutorial. Selphie gave Quistis a curious glance and in an honest answer, just shrugged and shook her head for a response towards her friend. She was as curious as she was, but she suspected that his absence was all her fault. 'Of course it was!' a small voice said in her head. She couldn't deny that. It was all her fault anyway.  
  
When lunch came, much to Selphie's relief, Zell came back wearing new pants. Quisits was too preoccupied to notice that Zell arrived carrying a tray full of his favorite food…hot dogs. The blond kept watching out for a sign that Seifer could still be in the building somewhere, but when she didn't, she breathed a sigh of disappointment. Guilt was staring at her in the face in which she couldn't get rid of.   
  
"Ah! Quistis! Beautiful Quistis!" The blond girl rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder to see Jacque approaching her holding a bouquet full of flowers. He sat down beside her and handed her the flowers. "Here are beautiful flowers for the beautiful lady."  
  
"Thanks," Quistis mumbled, taking the flowers. These were flowers were a mixed of roses and lilies, her favorite. How on earth did he know lilies were her favorite? "You got me….lilies….How-?" She looked at him curiously.  
  
Jacque grinned. "I had my sources." He stood up again. "Well, I better get going. I will see you soon my little flower!" He gave the back of her hand another soft kiss before leaving the cafeteria.  
  
"ZELL! How many times do I have to tell you to stop eating your hot dogs so fast!? GEEZ!" The blond looked up to see Selphie patting Zell's back, who was coughing out debris of the food towards Quistis' way.  
  
"Hey! Watch where you're coughing!" Quistis said, blocking her face with a napkin. When he finally stopped after a few more coughs, Zell put down his hot dog and looked at Quistis curiously.  
  
"Aren't you a bit curious?" the blond man asked.  
  
"About what?" Quistis said, picking up the ham sandwich from her plate. She took a small bite out of it and glanced at Zell. "About how he knew that lilies were my favorite?" Zell and Selphie both nodded, where at this time, Quistis shrugged. "I don't need to be suspicious of him. He's just a nice guy, that's all."  
  
"Yeah, a nice guy, who stalks you…" Zell mumbled, taking a slow bite this time on his half eaten hot dog. He almost dropped it from his fingers when Selphie elbowed him.   
  
Quistis took a deep breath. She was getting really frustrated now. First it was Seifer, now her own friends! "Look, I am only going to the dance with him, not dating him. Jacque is just being sweet to me so if you can't take that, then I guess I'll just go with him to a separate car!" She stood up, grabbed her tray and left.  
  
"Why did you have to open your big mouth, Zell?" Selphie said, glaring at her boyfriend.   
  
Zell said nothing as he continued to finish his hot dog.  
  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
  
Walking was a nice way to calm him. In the past week, ever since his mother passed away, all he could ever do after finishing his homework was go for a little walk in the park or just around the corner and come back again. Sometimes he thought about what he should do now, or whether he should really stay with his new family. His father came at least three times last week, asking him what he was having for breakfast or dinner, when in reality, those questions were directed whether he was staying with them or not. Every time he called the house, Seifer would just reject the offer by saying, "I'll think about it."   
  
During his walks he sometimes thought about Quistis, wondering what she was doing now, whether she was mad for not showing up at their tutorial after school. He thought about whether… Seifer clenched his fists. He couldn't understand why she, of all people, the smartest girl he knew would go to the dance with a low-life French guy, whose intentions were simply to humiliate her in front of the whole school because of Brandy. He wondered WHAT Brandy would do then.   
  
Seifer absent-mindedly walked down the sidewalk of his main street. Up ahead, he could see the playground where he made a debut in crying like a woman in front of a woman. But…somehow, he didn't feel humiliated. "…Even if you don't have good memories, Seifer, you can still HAVE one." He stuck his hands in his jacket pocket, frowning. Those words stuck in Seifer's mind as he turned the corner at the very end of the street, when he suddenly stopped to find a pair of feet stopping right in front of him. The blond looked up and was startled to see Quistis standing right in front of him.  
  
The girl stared back, unable to utter even a hello to the man whom she has grown to care about. They stared at each other for who knows how long, until Seifer cleared his throat. "Hey," he said simply. The blond man turned away, unable to look at the blond girl anymore, his eyes searching for something to look at.   
  
Quistis gripped the book around her chest tightly with her arms and looked away as well, finding a small spider crawling on the ground to watch. "Hello," was her reply.  
  
"I didn't know you were still at school," Seifer said.  
  
"I didn't come from the school," Quistis said.  
  
At that comment, Seifer was forced to look at her. She was keeping her eyes on the ground as if ashamed to look at him. "I see…" So, she was at HIS place. The blond man clenched his fists underneath the pockets of his coat and nodded. "Well, I was just going for a walk, see you later." He walked passed her, but stopped when he felt a hand on his arm. Seifer looked over his shoulder at Quistis.  
  
"When is…." She bit her bottom lip. Seifer turned completely around to look at her curiously. After taking a deep breath, Quistis finally had the courage to look into his eyes. "When is your mother's funeral?"  
  
Seifer shrugged, turning away. "I don't know yet. We haven't really arranged a day, but when we have one, I'll make sure to let you know."   
  
Quistis nodded. "Thank you."  
  
"You don't need to be there," Seifer suddenly said, after Quistis removed her hand from his arm. "It's not like you knew her that much."  
  
The blond girl forced a smile on her lips. "Well…" She looked down, her eyes concealed by her long blond bangs framing her face. "I guess you're right. Although I wish to be there…with you… so you don't have to be ashamed to cry." With that said, she turned and walked away.   
  
Seifer watched her leave, her words etched in his mind. He felt his fists clenching tighter and tighter underneath his coat, but even then, he knew that those were the words he was looking for from her lips, so why… Why did he not stop her? "Because I don't need this! I don't need her!" he said, answering his own question. "I…I don't…" 'Ah shit!' he thought. 'I DO friggin need her! I friggin LOVE her!' The blond stopped, turned and walked to the direction of Quistis' house.   
  
  
  
**********************  
  
"I'm home!" she yelled to no one in particular. She didn't really need to yell it, even though she knew that her Aunt wouldn't be home, because she had to do some planning with a client of hers about a house that needs designing. Travis, as usual, a party-goer type of guy, was going to be home late because of a birthday party his girlfriend was having. So, Quistis, with her stomach growling, decided to head to the kitchen to make something for dinner. She went to the freezer and took out at least two T.V. dinners, followed the directions and heated both of them up in the microwave. She grabbed a mug from the cupboard to prepare herself hot chocolate. It took the blond a moment to realize that the back door was opened. Her Aunt must have forgotten to close it when she left quickly that afternoon, however, something caught here eye that made her heart skip a bit. Near the door, there was a pair of very familiar looking boots.   
  
"Hello, Quistis," someone said from behind.  
  
The blond girl dropped her mug, making a loud, smashing sound on the ground. She quickly turned around and looked up. In the darkness of the living room, a large, figure stepped into the light of the kitchen. It's been almost a month since he disappeared, never heard from, but this sudden appearance, made her feel uncomfortable. The way he looked at her, screamed 'bloody murder' and he looked even more dangerous than the last time he set foot in this house. "Dad…daddy…What are you doing here? How did you get in?"  
  
Sean took another step, his fists clenched at his sides. "Don't call me daddy, you bitch! You turned me in!!! You betrayed your own father!" He lifted up a hand to strike her and took two more steps until he was close enough. Quistis took her own steps back, reaching behind her for something to protect her from, but there was none.   
  
"You're not supposed to come near me. Aunt Charlotte signed a restraining order on you," Quistis said.  
  
The tall, blond, middle aged man let out a very hoarse laugh. "Your stupid Aunt couldn't keep me away from you. The police knew I was an 'innocent' man so they let me see you for a while."  
  
"What? They can't do that-!" She was interrupted when Sean's booming voice echoed around the kitchen. "SHUT UP!" he yelled, slapping her before Quistis could defend herself. The blond girl reeled back from the impact, landing on her butt on the ground. She placed a hand on her now bruised cheek and looked up, tears filling her eyes. "You have no right to talk to your father that way!" He lifted up his hand once more to make another hit, but as Quistis closed her and prepared for the second blow…it never came.  
  
"What the-!? It's YOU!" The blond girl didn't know what her father was talking about as she opened her eyes again to notice something grey and tall hovering right above her and standing in between her and her father.   
  
"And you have no right to treat your daughter that WAY!" With the last word, the figure punched Sean square in the face. The older man was stunned at the power the young man had as he fell backwards on his butt.   
  
Quistis watched as the figure turned and kneeled down beside her. That was when she realized it was Seifer who was staring back at her with a worried look on his face. "Seifer? What are you doing here?" she wondered, her hand still placed on her broken cheek.  
  
"I came here to see you, but then I heard a noise so I had to check out what it was and-!" But before Seifer could finish his sentence, Sean had tackled him from behind. Quistis quickly stood up to get away from the fight and just watched as the two men struggled with the other on the ground. Sean had Seifer on a tight grip, but Seifer managed to kick the man in the stomach, forcing Sean to reel back in surprise. Quistis gasped in shock when Sean took another leap towards Seifer into a tackle. Both men landed hard on the ground. Glasses and utensils on the counter fell to the side, but no one took notice of that. Seifer made another attempt to kick the man off of him and the second time, it succeeded. Sean reeled back harder this time, his back hitting the back door. Seifer charged at him and both men flew into the air and landed outside in the backyard. "STOP! Please no more!!!" Quistis was yelling, but Seifer didn't listen as he tightened his legs around Sean's torso and began hitting him with his fists over and over again. "SEIFER! STOP!" Quistis' pleas made Seifer stop as he looked up to see the blond girl with her eyes filled with tears.   
  
Sean took this opportunity to hit the younger man across the face while he was preoccupied with watching his daughter. "Don't take your eyes off of your opponent!" Sean yelled. Seifer didn't have time to turn and defend himself, when he felt something hard hit his face. The young blond fell backwards, wiping the blood off of the corner of his mouth. Sean stood up and decided to hover over the fallen Seifer, while cracking his knuckles as if to finish him off. Despite Quistis' pleas, Sean proceeded to grab Seifer by the neck and lift him up to he could hit him straight in the face.   
  
"NO!!!! DADDY STOP!" Quistis ran as fast as she could and wrapped her arms around her father's waist to stop him from doing anymore damage.   
  
"GET OFF ME YOU BITCH!" Sean howled, pushing her away from him.  
  
Quistis fell on the ground with a loud 'thud!'   
  
Seifer's eyes turned into thin slits as he watched Quistis clutching at what seemed like a broken arm from when she fell the first time inside the house. "I am really going to enjoy this!" Sean whispered. He lifted up his single clenched fist in the air and made to hit him, when something stopped him just in time. Sean paused and looked up. The sound of sirens could be heard around the neighborhood.   
  
"Please STOP!" Sean looked up at Quistis, then back down at Seifer to find himself hit hard in the face. Blood spilled from his nose when once again the two men were caught up in their fight to really notice that the cars had stopped at the garage. Two policemen ran out of their cars and dashed to the backyard where they found a young blond woman on her knees, begging for two fighting men to stop. One of the policemen, who was slightly shorter than the other had long dark hair, slicked back into a ponytail ran to where the two men were fighting and pulled the youngest off of the older man. The second policeman, a large and very muscular, dark skinned man with moustache, took less effort to help the older blond man up on his feet and restraining him from attacking the other blond man.   
  
"What's going on here!?" the shorter, dark haired man asked. For some unknown reason, there was a small, dot in the middle of his forehead. From the tone of his voice, he seemed to be the one in charge out of the two of them. He had Seifer's arms pulled behind his back.   
  
Seifer gritted his teeth. "YOU SHOULD ASK HIM!"  
  
"Why you son of a bitch! You were the one who hit me first!"   
  
"All right, all right, there's no need to have name callin' ya fools!" the large man spoke.  
  
"You two were disturbing the peace in this neighborhood that's why we came here to find out what was going on!" The dark haired man glanced to the blond woman who was now standing up on her feet. "Miss? Would you like to explain what happened here? These two don't seem to want to say anything."  
  
Quistis nodded. "I uh…" She glanced at Seifer, who just nodded, giving her a reassuring look. He looked really battered and bruised, but then again, so was her father. "It's all right, officer, there's nothing to worry about. There was just some misunderstanding." She looked away from Seifer, who was left with his mouth wide open in shock.   
  
"Hey Tseng, we don't need to interrogate the lady," the dark skinned man said.  
  
"Well, whatever the story was, we need to take these two in. Disturbing the piece usually means domestic disturbance. Young lady?" The man called Tseng nodded to Quistis. "Would it be all right if we ask you to come with us?"  
  
The blond girl nodded quietly and followed the two policemen out of the backyard and to the police cars. Tseng shoved Seifer at the back, who was wincing in pain from the fight and locked the door. He walked over to the passenger side, unlocked that door and allowed Quistis inside, then went over to his side. "Hey Barrett," he called to the dark skinned man as Quistis stepped inside the car.  
  
Barrett looked up. "Yeah?"  
  
"Make sure you don't get lost on the way back again eh?" Tseng teased, winking.  
  
The dark skinned man felt his face go red. "HEY! I wasn't the one who got lost! You were the one who wouldn't listen to me!!! I KNOW this area pretty well, you know!"  
  
Tseng waved him away. "Yeah, yeah," he said as he stepped into his side of the car. As both cars drove off the driveway and towards the police station which was only fifteen minutes away, Quistis sat silently in the passenger seat, while Tseng and Barrett conversed with each other about the new Krispy Kreme store that opened near their area.   
  
Seifer sat, annoyed by this, his right eye bruising and his face going red in frustration. He couldn't believe these idiots were cops! "HEY! Why don't you stop talking about Krispy Kreme so I won't have to cream you?"  
  
Tseng's eyes narrowed, jerking his head back at him. "What did you say, punk!?"  
  
The blond turned away, but Quistis frowned, giving him a worried look.   
  
"That's right, don't say anymore! You're lucky I'm not here to arrest you for a whole year! Since this was only a minor thing and no killing was involved, you'll only stay the night so you can be with your pretty girlfriend here!" He grinned at Quistis, who blushed in return and said nothing.  
  
"For your information, she's not my girlfriend!" Seifer hissed, looking away embarrassed. "She's…she's just someone I know…" DAMMIT!  
  
Quistis glanced at him through the rearview mirror and noticed the blush on his face growing deeper.  
  
Tseng shrugged. "Whatever you say, punk…"  
  
Seifer said nothing after that.  
  
  
  
****************  
  
"Oh geez….so THIS is where you were!" Seifer looked up at the sound of a very familiar voice. It was Charlotte, with Quistis standing beside her worriedly and Travis who seemed to be excited that he was inside a jail cell, apparently for the first time. She was standing right there with her arms folded across her chest and her face wearing that odd looking expression he has never seen on the woman whom he considers part of his family.   
  
Seifer felt his shoulders sag for a moment. He was expecting his father to come, but then again, he lives so far away so why would the short, old man come all the way just to let him out? But why should he care? He has a new family to worry about now! He was Bryan Almasy, a man with a new wife and a new daughter he can always cherish. Why would he want a son, who fought with someone every time he had a temper tantrum? And a son who was now in jail because of that reason?   
  
"Be glad that I came home just in time to find you two in a police car! I was so shocked that I had to turn and follow you guys all the way to the station…" She unfolded her arms and proceeded to plant her fists on her hips. When she did, Charlotte reminded him of the way his mother used to do it whenever she was upset about something.   
  
Quistis stood there, still shocked by what happened. She wanted nothing more than to run into Seifer's arms and kiss him all over for being there. That thought made her blush.   
  
"Hey!" The blond girl was interrupted by the sound of Travis voice, who was also nudging him in the arm. She looked at her younger cousin, giving him a curious look. "Shouldn't you be thanking Seifer for kicking that bastard's ass?"  
  
"TRAVIS! WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" Charlotte screamed, almost the top of her lungs. That forced a mumbled apology from Travis' mouth and he had no choice but to back off either.  
  
Quistis blushed and looked up at Seifer, who was watching her all this time. "Um…I guess…thank you…"   
  
Seifer turned away and smirked. "What you're not going to scold me for beating the crap out of your dad?" 'STUPID IDIOT! Stop acting so high and mighty now!' he thought. 'You're going to make her mad again!'  
  
But to his surprise, Quistis just smiled and shook her head. "Why would I? You saved my life. I was….I was so scared."  
  
"Oh good!" A voice startled everyone out of their conversation. All heads turned to the same dark haired policeman that arrested Seifer earlier. He was playing the cell keys in his hands, dangling them from one finger to the other. Tseng glanced down at Seifer sitting on his bed. "Well, you're lucky to have a family like this, kid," he said, patting Travis on the back. "If it weren't for them, you'd be stuck here for the whole night or maybe more for assault and battery towards someone on private property." He unlocked Seifer's cell door. "You're free to go."  
  
Seifer stood up. "Thanks," he mumbled. He was about to walk pass the family, when someone's soft hand touched him on the shoulder. The blond stopped and looked down at Quistis. He was startled to see her with her face buried in her hands. Charlotte, Travis and even Tseng were startled by this, but Seifer wordlessly approached her and wrapped his arms around her. "I thought you stronger than that?" he whispered in her ear.  
  
Quistis shook her head. "No…I'm not," she whimpered. "I was so scared, Seifer. I thought he was going to do something else to me…"   
  
Seifer closed his eyes, wanting so much to finish off killing Sean, but thought against it. He knew that Quistis would never want him to be a murderer anyway. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise that…" 'If only if it were true in Jacque's part!' he thought, his teeth grinding together.  
  
GoodGurl: HEE HEE! FINALLY! THE END OF SEAN! GO SEIFER GO! What's going to happen for these two now that it's been confirmed already that they have feeling for each other? OH! Stay tuned! THE DANCE!!! XD 


	31. Breaking The Rules

Note: Hi everyone! HEY! Where did all my fans go? What happened to them? Oh well at least I still got many reviews thank you for all those who did! I am definitely almost finished this story. This is actually the longest story I have had to write! x_x Seriously~ out of all my stories, this is the longest chapter EVER! Well, anyways back to Squall, Laguna, Ian and Rinoa story! Yes it's more like that… Last time, we had Rinoa go home to an empty crib and Laguna telling his side of the story on why he's been distant from Squall and Ian *gasp* possibly kidnapping his own child! What now???? OH THE DRAMA!!!!  
  
  
  
Chapter 31 – Breaking The Rules   
  
  
  
She looked so much like him. The eyes, the way the hair curled in all the directions, but the way she smiled, reminded him of her mother. A beautiful girl with many dreams and a heart that went way beyond anyone he has ever known. And she was right there in his arms, being cradled in his warmth, not knowing that to her, he was just a stranger. Despite that, however, he loved her all the same. It didn't matter just as long as he could hold her as long as he wanted.   
  
"Ian? Are you in here?"   
  
He looked up, startled by the sound of his wife's voice. Guilt was crawling inside him again, having forgotten that Bridgette was going to act differently if she saw him holding a child whom he fathered from a girl twenty years younger than him. Of course, she knew about what had happened. It wasn't fair keeping the secret from his wife, but she has no idea about... "Ian? Where are you?"  
  
It was now or never. He couldn't hide her any longer. "I'm in the living room sweetheart!" he yelled back from the living room. Ian glanced down at the basket in front of him and smiled at the small little face of Diana. "I would like you to meet someone!"   
  
Bridgette walked over to the living room, her heart pounding in fear. Is this what she thinks it is? It couldn't be possible! She thought as she neared her husband. She didn't want to believe it! She didn't want to think that Ian would kidnap his own child from her mother. It couldn't be… "Ian? What's going on?" She didn't want to ask because she already knew, but she had to make sure she wasn't dreaming.   
  
Ian turned his face to her and nodded down at the basket sitting on their main couch. "I would like you to meet your new daughter…Diana!"  
  
"Diana?" she gasped as she noticed that what she didn't want to believe was true after all. There was the baby, her eyes looking up innocently at the man she will never know as her father and a smile that resembled that of her mother. Bridgette couldn't believe this. "What's going on Ian…I thought she was back in Seattle!? And… What did you do? Why is she here? Did you…?"  
  
Ian looked up, his face with a look she has never seen on him before. Was it…satisfaction? "I took her here…where she truly belongs. She doesn't deserve to live in a place where she would eventually die." He rocked her bed gently and smiled down lovingly at the baby. "She needs a real home…with us."  
  
Bridgette shook her head in disbelief. "I don't want her in this house. We already have a son. Why do we need another child? Diana already belongs to her mother, Ian. We can't take her away from her mother." She stood behind him, unable to make another move ever since she saw Diana there.  
  
"She is OUR child Bridgette!" Ian said, his voice growing louder. He stood up and turned to look at her. "She belongs to us…a REAL family!"  
  
"She is not MY child, Ian!" Bridgette yelled back. "We already have a son! Michael may only be nine years old, but he is a smart boy and he would know whether he has a real sister or not! We can't keep her Ian!"  
  
Ian looked back down at Diana. "I won't give her back to that stupid, naïve little girl who doesn't know how to take care of a baby! She is MY child too! Not just hers!"  
  
"Oh, so she's the stupid one?" Bridgette clenched her fists at her sides and stared at the back of her husband's head. She didn't need to spell it out for him to understand what she means. Ian knew what she was going to say next. "Ian, if you want to keep her, then you can't keep both me and our son!"  
  
The dark haired man turned to look at her in disbelief. "Are you…threatening to leave me with Michael?"  
  
Bridgette nodded. "If that is what I have to do, I will."  
  
"You can't…" He didn't finish his sentence, because before he had a chance to, Diana began to cry. "It's okay Diana! Daddy's here. Daddy will always be here. I won't leave you anymore." He kneeled down in front of his child and began rocking her little bed again.  
  
She couldn't believe this. Had she lost her husband already? Tears began to fall from her eyes. So he chooses to be with the child that stupidity bore, instead of making his REAL family stay with him. It was a good thing Rosario was off today, or else she would be taking her side and then there would be arguments going on from Rosario and Bridgette to Ian.   
  
"MOM! I'm home!" came a small voice from the front door, followed by the front door shutting to a close. Bridgette turned her head to where the voice came from, quickly wiping the tears away so Michael wouldn't be suspicious.  
  
"What are you going to tell, Michael now, Bridgette? He would never leave his father behind, because he needs me. EVERYONE needs me."  
  
"Mom? Dad? What's going on here?" Michael's head peeked from around the corner, looking around at the still shadowed figures of his parents. He noticed his mother was looking at him, red in the face, while he noticed his father crouched in front of the couch, looking at something. "What's dad doing, mom?"  
  
Bridgette didn't answer. Instead, she walked up to her son and grabbed his hand. "Michael, I want you to pack your things. We're leaving!" She looked over her shoulder to see Ian's shoulder stiffen just in time before leading her son upstairs to his room.  
  
"Why? Where are we going?" Michael asked by the time they made it to his room. He looked up, but his mother did not answer as she began pulling out his clothes from the closet and the drawer and stacking them all on his bed. It was until she kneeled down and pulled out his luggage from the bottom of his bed did she look at him straight in the eyes, giving Michael a chance to her teary-eyes.   
  
"I want you to pack your things, no questions!" With that said, she stood up and went to her room to get her things ready, leaving her son confused and shocked at the same time.   
  
  
  
********************  
  
  
  
"DAMMIT!" he hissed, slamming a fist down the table. Edea winced, while Laguna looked up, startled by the sudden outburst, despite him knowing what Squall was angry about. The sixteen year old looked around at his father. "Well!? Why aren't we doing anything to arrest Ian!? He kidnapped Rinoa's daughter for goodness sakes!!!"  
  
Laguna shook his head. "We can't arrest him unless we have a warrant and evidence that he kidnapped her."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Squall stood up and looked down at the older man. "He DID! You confirmed it yourself from Ian's wife!"  
  
"I already called the police back in Seattle, Squall," Laguna replied as calmly as he could. "And they explained that they can't make an arrest unless there is proof. They believe that it was the social services that took her and they can't do anything about it. Besides, they can't find him ANYWHERE in Seattle. He's either here somewhere to another state."  
  
Squall began to pace around the room. "He could be back here at his house. His wife probably already knew that he was going to kidnap her in the first place and decided to become an accomplice for him. After all, she is his wife! She would probably do anything to protect him!"  
  
  
  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
  
"But mom! Why are we leaving? Isn't dad coming with us?" Michael practically dragged his feet to keep his mother from walking too fast down the stairs and out of the house. When they made it at the bottom of the stairs, he glanced at his father now sitting on the couch, holding something in his arms. Curious, he pulled himself away from his mother's grasp and turned around to look. "Dad?"  
  
Ian looked up and smiled. "Michael, I'd like you to meet someone," he said quietly.  
  
Bridgette tried to grab her son's hand, but Michael was too far out of her reach. "Michael! Let's go!"  
  
"Daddy, what are you doing?" He moved a little closer to his father and was able to see what he was holding in his arms. It was something pink and moving. A baby… "Who is that?"  
  
Ian smiled wider, his eyes holding that odd looking aura. "This is your-"  
  
"MICHAEL JAMES ADAMMS!" Bridgette roared.  
  
Startled, Michael jerked his head at his mother, his eyes widening in horror at the sound of his mother's voice. He was practically yanked from the living room and dragged out of the house, pulling their suitcases along urgently.   
  
Ian gently put Diana back down in her bed and ran out to follow his family he was going to lose if he didn't do anything to stop them. "This is crazy Bridgette! You don't have to leave because of one child!" He grabbed Bridgette's hand and forced her to look at him. "If you can just learn to accept-!"  
  
Bridgette pulled herself away from him. "I don't HAVE to leave Ian! I NEED to! So unless you get your act together, Michael and I can't stay here anymore! I can't accept what you're doing! If I do, I will be reminded of what you did!!!! Come on Michael!" She opened the front passenger seat of her car as Michael jumped inside, obviously scared. Bridgette stuffed all their luggages inside the trunk and quickly walked to her side of the passenger seat. Ian wasn't finished with their conversation as he followed his wife to the passenger seat and pulled her back out.   
  
"I WON'T LET YOU LEAVE!" He gripped his hand tight around her arm.  
  
Bridgette was now scared, her eyes staring back at him with fear he has never seen before. "Please…please let me go." Tears automatically fell all at once from her eyes. "I won't be able to take this Ian. I can't. I've been living with this knowledge about you and her together…with a child. For a long time, I have had to deal with it, but now that Diana's with you, I know I won't be able to stand it."  
  
Ian released his grip. "I- I'm sorry," he stammered. "I don't know what came over me."  
  
Bridgette hopped inside her car and closed the door. She glanced out at the opened window and frowned. "It's too late for apologies now." She roared the engine to life. "We'll be staying with my parents in California. I'll send you a copy of the divorce papers soon." She rolled the window up and drove out of the driveway.  
  
Michael looked over his shoulder at his father's disappearing figure.   
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
  
Silence. It seemed to be the only habit that evolved between Squall and Laguna. In reality, they don't know that that was the only thing they had in common. Their pride to apologize to each other, knowing the fault of the other was much too high for both father and son to really negotiate their relationship.   
  
"Well, what are we going to do now?" Squall asked, glancing at his father.  
  
Edea sat there, listening to their conversation, not knowing what to say to the two.   
  
Laguna looked up from his thinking and sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not sure."  
  
"You're not sure!? You're the mayor for goodness sakes! DO SOMETHING about this! This is clearly kidnapping!!!!"  
  
Suddenly, the phone rang. All three jumped up, startled by the noise. Edea stood up and picked up the phone and held it close to her ear. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, is Mayor Laguna still there?"   
  
"Uh…sure, may I ask who's calling?" The two men watched her listen to the other line and the moment her eyes lit up in shock, they were suddenly startled from their seats as if the phone would start walking away if it wasn't given to any of them. After a few seconds, Edea handed the phone to Laguna, who took it without question.  
  
"Yes, this is Laguna…"  
  
"Hello Mr. Loir. This is Bridgette, Ian Adamms' wife? The one you spoke to yesterday?" There was a sound of a train howling in the background, telling Laguna that she was somewhere in the road.  
  
"Yes, Mrs. Adamms, what can I do for you?"  
  
"Actually, shortly, I won't be Mrs. Adamms anymore. I have something to tell you." She took a deep breath and looked around making sure no one was listening around as people passed by to catch their train ride. Bridgette cuffed the phone with one hand and whispered something in Laguna's ear. Michael gave his mother a very curious look. He was getting confused every second.  
  
Laguna listened intently as the story unfolded from Bridgette's lips to his ears. Squall watched at his father's reactions to whatever news he was getting, his fists clenched in front of him, eager to find out what they were talking about now. There was a few nods, then after a word of 'goodbye' Laguna hung up the phone and glanced at Squall. "Squall, I think you'll be delighted to hear that the person who I was talking to was Bridgette, Ian's wife. She has given information on Ian's whereabouts and word has it, he's still in Washington. And he has Diana."  
  
Squall felt his fists clenched a little tighter, now turning white from the pressure. The young brunette stood up and walked over to the front closet to grab his coat, but before he headed out the door, a hand on his shoulder stopped in just as he was about to step outside. "Hang on, Squall."  
  
"What is it?" Squall was getting frustrated with all the waiting. He couldn't wait any longer. He was missing the dance, which meant he couldn't go with Rinoa because of it and possibly, Rinoa didn't go because she's too devastated of her daughter's disappearance.   
  
Laguna walked pass him, blocking his son from the doorway. "I want you to think this through. I don't want you barging in there and make a scene. Just follow me in there and don't say a word, because if you lose your temper, there's a possibility that he could charge you for assault, then he would have proof to keep his child."  
  
"What kind of proof would that be?" Squall was putting on his jacket hastily, eager to go into the Adamms' residence and beat the crap out of Ian, but part of him told him that his father was right about one thing. He definitely didn't want to be arrested.   
  
"You are Rinoa's boyfriend, therefore his lawyer could play around with that and make the jury think that SHE would not fit to be a mother for having a boyfriend who assaulted people."  
  
"But-!" However, before he had a chance to finish his sentence, Laguna lifted up his hand to stop him. "Just please do as I say…for once." Squall, obviously had no choice, so he frowned and nodded in agreement. "All right," he replied.  
  
"Good. Edea! We're going now!"  
  
Edea appeared from the kitchen. "Please be careful," she yelled.  
  
Laguna and Squall both nodded. They silently left the house and began walking down the sidewalk. The dark haired man glanced at his son, whose hands were stuffed inside his jean pockets, as if trying to conceal his clenched fists. "Do you know where their house is?"  
  
Squall nodded and said nothing.  
  
"Good and remember Squall…" He paused when his son jerked his head at him and gave him a piercing glare. "I guess we already established that." He watched as Squall walked ahead of him, not saying another word after that. "When we get there, wait for me by the front steps until I get there. I don't want you knocking on the door and find him there and start beating the hell out of him, got that?"  
  
"Whatever…" Squall replied, removing his hands from his pockets, which, to Laguna's surprise were not clenched after all.   
  
  
  
  
  
_____________  
  
  
  
When they arrived around half an hour later, Squall did as he was told and waited by the front steps of the house until Laguna rounded the corner to join him. His father walked passed him and knocked on the door. He gave his son a glance before they heard the door opening ever so slowly. It wasn't a surprise when the door only opened halfway to reveal a chain in between them and a face peering from the inside. "Who is it?" the familiar voice asked, though more so familiar to Squall than Laguna.  
  
"My name is Laguna Loir…Are you Mr. Adamms by any chance?"  
  
"I've never heard of a Laguna Loir," the man replied.  
  
Squall stood at the back, doing his best not to burst through the door and choke the living daylights out of Ian. "Perhaps, you have. Your wife has told you that she hired a lawyer to defend your rights in the court? I am also the Mayor of Seattle."  
  
"My wife left."  
  
"I know sir," Laguna replied. "But…"  
  
"Hang on a second," Ian interrupted. He closed the door, but both men could not hear the clinking of chains as if to unlock the door. Laguna and Squall glanced at each other. "What's going on?" Squall wondered. Laguna shook his head in response and leaned his ear against the door. He could hear faint footsteps, followed by the cries of a small child.  
  
Because the crying was so loud, Squall could hear it from where he was standing. "She IS in there!!!!" he yelled, shoving his way pass his father and pressing his own ear against the door. "Dad!"  
  
Laguna nodded. "I know, I know, but be patient Squall. Just barging in there and making a scene won't help the situation better. It will only make matters worse."  
  
Then they heard a backdoor opening and closing. The cries of the child dispersed and all they could hear in the inside was silence. "He left through the back door!" Squall whispered loudly, looking at his father.  
  
Laguna was perplexed. He had no idea this was going to happen. "No way…" Then, he heard it. A car was being started to life, as clear as day and it was right behind them. Laguna and Squall jerked their bodies around just in time to see the shadowed figure of a tall man carrying something in his hands and putting it at the back seat. "HEY!" Laguna yelled. The man looked up, said nothing and ran to his side of the driver's seat.  
  
Squall's eyes widened, clenched his fists and ran towards the car. "You bastard! Come back with Diana! IAN!!!!" he yelled as loud as he could, running faster now as the car pulled up from the curb.   
  
Laguna followed suit, his heart pounding in fear and his face filling with total disbelief. He watched as his son stopped to take a breather and looked up to see the car fading into the distance. "Don't worry, Squall, he can't go anywhere," Laguna said as calmly as he could, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.   
  
Squall slapped his hand away and looked over his shoulder to glare at his father. "I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD'VE CALLED THE POLICE! TALKING DID NOT HELP!!!!" He straightened up and clenched his fists until they were white.  
  
"Calm down, Squall…"  
  
"I WON'T CALM DOWN! YOU TOLD ME TALKING WOULD HELP! BUT IT DIDN'T! IT ONLY MADE MATTERS WORSE!" With that said, he took a deep breath and walked pass his father.   
  
Laguna stood there, aghast, unable to say a word back to his son to comfort him. There was none at all, because…because Squall was right after all. However, there was no point in giving up now. There were still ways they could get her back. He reached inside his jacket pocket and dialed a number. When it was complete, he pressed the phone against his ear and waited for three rings before someone answered. "Hello Craig? I need you to do something for me."   
  
  
  
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There was no way to bring her back now. She was in her own little world. Part of her REALLY died because the piece of the puzzle, which was Diana, went missing. Patti glanced at the dress Rinoa bought for the dance a week ago. It was just sitting in her closet, waiting to be worn. There was two more days left until the dance and unless they do something to get Diana back, the beautiful dress would never be worn. The sandy haired woman turned her head to where the dark haired girl's form laid still on her bed, just staring up at the ceiling like a dead corpse. She looked pale and thin, but who could blame her? She hasn't eaten for at least two days. Nor sleep in those days for that matter. Patti was very frightened for the sixteen year old girl.  
  
And then, she heard the doorbell ring, followed by an urgent knock on the front door. Patti quickly left the room to answer the door and found herself face to face with a young man with wavy brown hair, gasping for air. "S-Squall?" She had no idea he was back in Seattle.  
  
Squall looked at her with desperate eyes. "Where is she?"  
  
Patti nodded her head up the stairs. "She's in her room, but…"  
  
"But what?" Squall looked at her curiously. There were tears in the woman's eyes now, no longer able to hold it back.   
  
"But she won't eat anything. She hasn't even slept either. Rinoa would just keep staring at the ceiling, like she was dead…I'm so scared for her!"  
  
Squall placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry I'll get her back somehow. Ian won't go anywhere out of the state and I'll make sure of that."  
  
Ian? Patti thought. Could it be? "Did he…? No…"  
  
However, Squall didn't answer her, instead, he ran up the stairs and into Rinoa's room to find her pathetically sitting up, but did not move from her spot on the bed. She looked out the window and just stared. Squall stood there for a couple of seconds, before greeting her silently by kneeling down on his knees in front of her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He looked up and stared into her empty eyes. "Rinoa?"  
  
She didn't answer, but she seemed to have acknowledged his presence by looking down to where he was. However, she seemed to have just stared straight through him. Squall felt his heart sinking into his own puddle of guilt and shame. Without a second thought, he buried his face into her lap and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Rinoa. I was so stupid to believe my father that talking would bring Diana back, but I should've listened to my instinct and did the opposite! I should never have let my guard down! Diana may be gone, but I promise I won't fail you next time! I won't be your failure anymore! I don't want to see you sad anymore!!!!"  
  
With those words, he tightened his arms around her, but not enough that would keep her from breathing and wept.  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: *gasp* Squall? Crying? Well, he's been doing that a lot lately, even in front of his father. I feel soo sorry for Rinoa though and that Ian bastard! Grrrrrrrr!! Anyway…what will happen next? Stay tuned!!!! ^^ 


	32. Feel With You

Note: HI GUYS! Sorry to make you all wait for the next chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves because I know I am! ^^ Anyways, want to know what happens next after Zell and Selphie's little 'accident' in the girls' bathroom. Hah hah! Well, here's Zell to explain to you! ^^ And hey I am almost at the end of the chapter! Hope to hit at least two hundred reviews or hopefully a lot more! XD Oh, if you're wondering, this story is actually now a spring month instead of the winter, because it already passed right? ^^ So that means the dance will not be a SPRING dance… Well anyway, enjoy!  
  
  
  
Chapter 32 – Feel With You   
  
  
  
The afternoon sunshine was brighter than usual and warmer. The streets were empty, except for the occasional kids that ran back and forth from their front yard and back yard. The older ones were still back in school, studying, making their grades a lot better, but Zell, he was heading straight home, eager to change into some dry pants after what happened to him and Selphie in the girls' bathroom. He never intended to go that far with their 'exploration' but thinking about it made him anticipate for more. Just thinking about Selphie and the way she looked at him with her begging, green eyes drove him crazy to the point of wanting to take her into his arms and drag her to bed, but he knew better than that. Teen pregnancy was not a smart way to go. Besides, if Selphie did get pregnant, her brother would definitely hunt him down like a predator stalking his prey. Zell would have to worry about sleeping with one eye open in case a shadow the shape of Garrett would start hovering above him as he slept in his bed.   
  
That thought made the blond shudder as he turned a corner and walked down the deserted sidewalk towards home. He shuffled for his keys in his pockets and gently took them into the palm of his hands once he made it to the front yard and across the concrete steps. Zell sighed, glancing down at the right side of his pants where the water of the toilet had soaked him through. He was relieved that Ms. Fisher didn't ask what happened when he appeared along with Selphie, fifteen minutes after class started, holding up his pants as if afraid that the water might soak the floor. She just dismissed him quickly when he asked to go home and change his wet pants. All the students were curious of course, even the great Seifer Almasy, the one who never cared about anyone, except maybe for himself and Quistis, was giving him a questioning look. Of course, Zell ignored that because he was too busy worrying about the girl who had witnessed the whole thing.   
  
Zell took a deep breath and inserted the house key through the keyhole of the front door, twisted it and reached for the doorknob to open it wide. He didn't have time to dodge a pair of shoes that were laying so close at the very front that anyone could have tripped when Zell felt his body go forward. He managed to step his other foot forward so he wouldn't completely fall flat on his face on the floor. "What the-?" he spoke, glancing down at a pair of size five loafers. He knew it wasn't his Aunt's since she was a size seven not a size five, although there is no reason for anyone to ask him why he notices these things.  
  
"Is that you, Zell?" his Aunt's soft voice came from the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah," the young blond replied, still staring curiously at the shoes in front of him. "Hey, Aunt Vanessa, is someone here? I don't think these are your shoes, are they?"  
  
"Why don't you come to the kitchen and find out?"   
  
The blond gave his Aunt's shadow a strange look and decided to do as he was told. Zell walked to the kitchen and was indeed right about having a visitor. The moment he stepped into the kitchen, the visitor turned around to reveal herself to him. He was quite surprised really when the visitor was actually Kent's mother, Naomi Marshall. "Mrs. Marshall!" he gasped in surprise. "What brings you here?"  
  
Naomi stood up and picked up something from the seat next to her. It was a large box, filled with…something. "I wanted to give you this." She glanced at it quickly, then back at Zell with a smile. "I just thought Kent would want you to have this. I found this in his room today when I was going through his stuff. It was in his closet, way at the very back." The older woman approached him and handed him the box. Zell thought it would be very light since Naomi was carrying it easily, but as soon as she dropped it in his arms, he was surprised when it suddenly weighed his arms down, forcing him to stumble a little bit until he found his footing to keep himself steady.   
  
The blond looked at it for a moment, until he looked up curiously at Kent's mother. "What-? What is it?"   
  
Naomi kept the smile on her face, but deep down, Zell knew she was still very sad with her loss. "It's Kent's collection of his superhero comic books, like X-Men, Spider man, etc."  
  
Zell was taken aback. "Really?" He dropped the box gently on the ground and opened it eagerly. Indeed, it was his collection of comic books and most of them were the ones he always asked Kent about reading one day. Kent always forgets to bring it with him to school and the blond never had a chance to read any of them. "But…I can't take these," the blond said, shaking his head. He closed the flaps over the box and picked it back up in his arms and moved to hand them over to Naomi. "They belong to you. You're his mother."  
  
Naomi shook her head. "I wouldn't know what to do with those anyway. I would end up selling them or throwing them away since I have no use for them. Besides, I'm sure Kent wouldn't mind giving them to you."  
  
"Th-thank you," Zell said quietly.   
  
The older woman nodded. "No problem. I knew you would like them. When he wrote to me, he told me how you loved comic books and he mentioned to me once that he always forgets to bring them to you so you can read them."  
  
He didn't know what else to say. He was definitely touched that Kent would think of him so much about the comic books. Before he could stop himself, Zell found himself in tears. Aunt Vanessa was definitely alert about this and she was afraid that a trigger of his memory of his parents' death led to this type of sudden sadness, but Naomi got to him first before he burst into fits of weeps. She wrapped his arms around him like a mother would and patted him on his head, having to go on tip toes to reach his height. Vanessa watched this scene, reminding her of the time her sister did the exact same thing to Zell when he cried over his scraped knee. "It's all right Zell," Naomi whispered in his ear, resisting the urge to cry with him. "There is no need to cry. You need to be strong for the both of us. We need to be strong for Kent. He wouldn't want us to cry over him. You know how he gets when people get mushy around him."  
  
Zell laughed into her shoulders and lifted up his head to look down at her, giving her the smile Naomi was looking for. The blond wiped his tears away and nodded. "You're right."  
  
Naomi nodded, satisfied and smiled as well. "Well, I better get going. I have so many things to do at home." She released Zell with her arms and turned around to face Vanessa. "It was nice meeting you, Vanessa."  
  
Vanessa smiled. "It was nice meeting you too, Naomi. I hope to see you again. If you want to chat, you can always come visit us here."  
  
The dark haired woman did a double take on Zell before turning around and putting her shoes on. Zell and Vanessa watched her leave before the blond picked up the box full of comics from the floor and proceeded to go up the stairs. "I'm going to put this in my room and change my pants."  
  
The older woman nodded. "All right. You might want to wash you face off, Zell. If Selphie sees you looking like that, she'd be very worried about you."  
  
The blond agreed. "Yeah, you're right I should do that too." He adjusted the box in his arms and continued upstairs to his room where he put the box down on the floor and searched for a new pair of pants to wear to school from his closet. When he found only one pair left, he reminded himself mentally to do laundry as soon as he gets off from school. The last pair was kahki, so he knew now he REALLY had to be careful about staining them during school today or else he won't have a pair left. He hated doing laundry, especially if his Aunt did it for him. He was sixteen for goodness sakes and turning seventeen in a couple of days just after the dance wasn't going to be easy. He would have to endure other responsibilities.   
  
  
  
  
  
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Second period had ended quickly than she imagined it would be. She figured Zell would come to second period, but she guessed that he was probably tied down of having to do laundry because he didn't have anymore pants left to wear. Selphie glanced down at the food on her plate that was left untouched ever since she went to buy it from the counter and looked around to see if Zell had arrived yet. Quistis was sitting awfully quiet in front of her, but right now, she was too busy worrying about where Zell had gone off to.  
  
"Hey, sorry I'm late! There were some things I had to take care of," a familiar voice came. Selphie looked up and gave a smile when she was staring right into Zell's blue eyes. And just as she expected, he was carrying a tray full of hot dogs, something that she was always used to him doing every lunch. He sat down beside her and quickly began munching them down as if he hasn't eaten them for a long time. She stared at him for a moment, until she heard Jacque's familiar voice around the area. Selphie didn't care much, but ended up listening to their conversation anyway. There were times when his words would just fade in and out of her thoughts, because she would just keep staring at Zell as he ate his…SIX HOT DOGS!?   
  
"Thank," Selphie suddenly heard Quistis mumble from her almost closed mouth. There was a pause, which caused Selphie to look up at the blond girl who stopped what she was eating and stare at the flowers in her hands. "You got me….lilies…How-?"   
  
The brunette turned her head at Jacque, who just grinned like a total idiot. She didn't know that Jacque was now seated beside the blond. Personally, Selphie thought Quistis was better off with Seifer. "I had my sources." To Selphie's relief, he stood up after he said this, and then added, "Well, I better get going. I will see you soon my little flower!" She was not happy though when Jacque made a move by kissing the back of Quistis' hand. She's very suspicious about people like him. There was just something about him that she didn't like. Selphie was about to say something when she heard Zell start coughing.   
  
"ZELL! How many times do I have to tell to stop eating your hot dogs so fast!? GEEZ!" Selphie slapped her hand against Zell's back, him coughing up hot dog debris towards Quistis. He didn't even apologize when their blond friend warned him about coughing the hot dog pieces towards her. After a while, Zell had stopped coughing, taking a deep breath before Selphie finally had a chance to calm her nerves.  
  
"Aren't you a bit curious?" Zell suddenly asked, surprising Selphie from her thoughts. The brunette looked at him questioningly, but her blond boyfriend just kept her eyes curiously on Quistis with her shoulders suddenly tense. Selphie was going to ask the same question too.   
  
"About what? About how he knew that lilies were my favorite?"  
  
Zell and Selphie nodded.  
  
"I don't need to be suspicious of him. He's just a nice guy, that's all."  
  
"Yeah, a nice guy who stalks you…" Selphie elbowed him in the arm and gave him a warning look, which almost caused Zell to drop his hot dog in the process. The brunette was amazed at how much hot dog he had eaten after five minutes or less even…he had already eaten three out of the six hot dogs he purchased.   
  
"Look, I am only going to the dance with him, not dating him. Jacque is being sweet to me so if you can't take that, then I guess I'll just go with him to a separate car!" This led to Quistis standing up and leaving Selphie and Zell alone. The brunette rubbed the top of her nose irritably and glared at Zell, nudging him once again in the arms.   
  
"Why did you have to open you have to open your big mouth, Zell?" she said, still keeping her glaring look at her blond and insensitive boyfriend. Well, he wasn't COMPLETELY insensitive. Naïve maybe, but not insensitive.   
  
Zell did not reply for a while until he finished his last hot dog from the tray. When he did, he grabbed Selphie's half cup of orange left in the cup and took a sip of it. "I don't get it…she's a smart girl, yet she's easily fallen for his trap!"   
  
Selphie couldn't argue with that. Zell was right after all. Quistis was indeed falling into Jacque's little trap in which only her friends would know about. She shrugged and sighed, lifting up her elbow and allowing her chin to rest on her upward palm. "Well, what else can we do? It's her decision…if she wants to go with him, and then let her do it. It's none of our business."  
  
The blond whipped his head at her. "None of our business? But you're her friend! Don't you care about how she'll get hurt once Jacque dumps something mean on her?"  
  
"Of course I care!" Selphie lifted up her head and looked at Zell angrily. "I just…I just thought…Well, it's just none of our business. If he DOES do anything funny at all, I'm going to make sure that he'll get punished for it!"  
  
"Atta girl!" the blond replied, ruffling Selphie's hair.  
  
"HEY!" Selphie winced, removing Zell's hand from the top of her head. "Don't touch my hair! It's very sensitive you know!" she added, putting the strands of hair back into place.   
  
"I wish I could say the same thing to mine," Zell replied, looking up at his own blond hair with its usual style. "It's weird how it always stands up and never falls down. It's like I was MEANT to have this type of hairstyle."  
  
Selphie scrunched up her nose and touched the tip of his long hair with her fingers. "Awww, it's all right! I like your hair! It's really cute!"   
  
Zell looked at her, giving him that usual cute face she always does when she's in her regular happy mood. "And you're cute too!" He pinched her nose, followed by kissing the tip of it before throwing the empty drink cup inside the garbage can beside him. "SCORE!" he bellowed, grinning proudly at himself.  
  
"Hey, Zell?" Selphie suddenly felt subconscious about this question she has been asking in her mind for these last few hours now. But she knows she has no reason to be since this was Zell…her boyfriend and she can trust him. "I wanted to ask you something, but I wasn't sure how to ask you."  
  
The blond shifted himself so he was now facing Selphie and gave her a curious look. "What is it?" He looked down at her fingers, fidgeting with one another, but Zell placed one hand over them to stop her from being nervous. "Hey, you don't need to be nervous to ask anything around me."  
  
Selphie sighed. "I know, but…OH! You'll hate me for this…I know we already talked about this before…"  
  
"Oh." Zell knew where she was getting at, as he removed his hands, which caused Selphie to look up in worry. "So you mean about….THAT."  
  
"Oohhhh I KNEW you were going to act weird about this!" She stomped one foot and looked away, blushing, feeling embarrassed for bringing the whole subject up. This is what she was afraid of.   
  
The blond raised his hands, waving them frantically. "Hey! HEY! Come on! You don't have to be mad. I didn't mean it like that! I was just surprised that you would suddenly talk about that. I mean…We agreed that-!" He paused when he felt Selphie's hands go around both of his.   
  
"I know…But…" She looked away shyly. "But…Hey can we talk about this after school? I'm not really comfortable talking about this with people walking by." She glanced around her, making sure no one heard that and luckily for her, no one did.   
  
Zell squeezed her hand back and smiled. "Of course."  
  
Selphie smiled back.  
  
Their moment of silence was interrupted when the end of the lunch bell suddenly rang, startling the two. Zell and Selphie stood up at the same time and left the cafeteria, along with the students heading for their classes. They met Quistis along the hallway, but she would just turn away and didn't even bother to talk with them. Selphie seemed bothered by this, because she stopped in the middle of the hallway and looked down in shame. Zell grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, telling her that there was nothing to worry about. Selphie nodded and looked at him with a smile.   
  
They separated at the end of the hall to go their different ways to their classes.   
  
  
  
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He looked so peaceful sleeping underneath the afternoon spring sunshine. He was taking a little rest beneath their school tree situated at the front of the school, a perfect place to shade him away from the sunlight that could cause skin cancer. Zell had his arms behind him, supporting his head against the body of the tree, while his feet were propped up on top of the cement that surrounded the large tree and the soil that kept it growing all these years. She sat down at the edge, just so she could watch him sleep.  
  
"What took you so long?" Startled, Selphie jumped at the sound of his voice and watched as Zell sat up and rubbed his eyes slowly. After a while, his tired eyes managed to open completely, focused and looking at Selphie's child-like, apologetic face. "I've been waiting for almost an hour." He glanced at his watch and nodded. "Yes, for almost an hour!"  
  
Selphie grinned nervously. "Sorry, but Mr. Clive wanted me to stay longer so he could go over my English homework for next week….He's really giving us a lot these days!" She sighed and smiled. "But at least I'm here, right?"  
  
Zell could never resist that smile of hers. It was quite contagious. "Yeah, I guess," he mumbled. "So, do you have time to talk to me about THAT then?"  
  
The brunette nodded, shifting herself closer to him. She patted his feet so it wasn't in the way and Zell automatically slid them off the concrete and down on the floor, so he was now facing the front doors of the school. He felt her moving a lot closer and felt her taking his hand in hers. "It's called sex, Zell," she whispered.  
  
The blond blushed and turned away. "Yeah, yeah," he said.  
  
Selphie giggled. "Anyway, I was thinking. What if…what if we do it after the dance?"  
  
This type of request alerted Zell immediately, his head swerving back to his right to look at Selphie to see if she was serious. To his horror, she was serious. "You want to do it…after the dance?"  
  
The brunette shrugged. "Yeah."  
  
"You mean do it AFTER the dance? It? As in….sex? You mean have sex after the dance?"   
  
Selphie stared at him and nodded a couple of times. "YES, that's what I'm saying."   
  
"Woah….are you serious?" Zell removed his hand from hers and stood up, stuffing his hands now in his pockets nervously. "Are you seriously serious?" He stopped a few steps, his back to her, his face all beet red.  
  
Selphie stood up as well, nodding her head. "Yes, I'm SERIOUSLY serious! I mean…" She approached him and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his back. "I want to know what it feels like to be WITH you Zell. People have talked about how great sex was and I want to experience it myself."  
  
"But…" he gulped. "We're only sixteen."  
  
"Yeah and?"   
  
Zell turned around, wrapping his arms around her waist now. "We're still too young for sex. Haven't you learned anything from the sex education they gave us during class?"  
  
Selphie seemed like she wasn't phased out about this, which meant she was VERY serious about this decision of hers. "They never said anything about how OLD you have to be to be doing sex."  
  
"That's not the point Selphie. The point is you could get pregnant, which means we would have to work hard to support the child which means…" The blond sighed and turned away.   
  
Selphie stepped away from him and frowned. "Stop it! You're acting like Garrett, Zell. It's creeping me out you know. I hate this. This is twice you've rejected me with the idea!"  
  
"And twice I keep telling you we're not ready!" Zell spat back, clenching his fists at his sides.   
  
"Maybe YOU'RE the one who's not ready!" With that said, she turned and stomped off down the street back to her house.   
  
Zell sighed and sat down on the front steps. He was an idiot, he knew that. He was scared that if they ever have sex, then that means their whole 'perfect' world would disappear. What if he blows it and Selphie would end up dumping him the next day and not bother with him anymore? Worse, what if Selphie is the one who's good at it blows him off and sleep with the next guy…no…Selphie wasn't like that.   
  
But…why was he so afraid? He was a man! He wasn't supposed to be afraid of things like these. If a girl offered her whole heart him, her whole soul, he wouldn't be turning her down! He should be accepting it! Besides….since it was Selphie's idea, she probably planned things ahead already.   
  
"Dammit!" he hissed to himself. Zell quickly stood and ran to where Selphie disappeared to. If he was lucky, she'd still be crossing 8th street so he could catch up to her. Fortunately, he noticed her just halfway down the cross street, tears in her eyes. He hit himself mentally for making her cry. He hated it when she cried no matter how small the argument was or big for that matter. "Selphie!" he called.  
  
Selphie glanced over her shoulder and noticed Zell running to her, but she just turned away and began to walk fast. "Leave me alone, Zell! If you don't want to be with me, why don't you just go on and say it!?"  
  
Zell grabbed her arm by the time they made it to the other side and forced her to turn around. "Of course I want to be with you! I didn't say I didn't want to be with you! I guess…" He let go of her and stuffed his hands in his pockets once more.  
  
The brunette wiped her tears away and looked at him curiously.   
  
"I guess I was just scared that if I'm not good at it, then you'd dump me for someone else…I know, I know stupid reason!" He looked at her, but the moment he did, he found her shaking her head in disbelief.  
  
Selphie approached him and placed a hand on his cheek. "No, it's not a stupid reason. You have every right to be afraid. I'm scared that you'd do the same too. Besides, who do you think I am? I'm not like that! It would be my first time too you know."  
  
"And who do you think I am?"  
  
"I guess we're both in the same level then. I'm sorry, Zell, I was just going overboard with this whole thing." She looked down shamefully and closed her eyes.  
  
Zell shook his head and grabbed her hand. "You shouldn't be the one who's sorry. I should be the one sorry for turning you down."  
  
"What?" She jerked her head up at him. "What are you saying?"  
  
Zell nodded. "I want to know what it feels like to be WITH you too. So…I guess what I'm saying is…Yes…let's do it after the dance."  
  
"Really?" Selphie couldn't believe her ears. She wrapped her arms around him and took him in for a warm embrace. "Now I'm kind of nervous…"  
  
"Don't worry, we'll both learn." He closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her. He was imagining what it would be like to really 'feel' her inside.  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: DUN DUN DUN! SO it's been confirmed that Zell and Selphie WILL have sex after the dance, but will they pull through it? BWUAHAH! More surprises and twists coming up for these two! ^^ Stay tuned! 


	33. Words Not Spoken

Note: Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait! HEY! Where's my 200 reviews!? *sniff* Oh well, at least I still have some of my devoted fans! BTW: Freaker, no it's not possible, I AM exaggerating it a bit, but hey, I like it so I don't really mind, besides….How do we know that all teenagers don't have many problems at the same time? *shrugs* I think we're almost at the end of the chapter here! ^^ Wooh! I can't believe I've written THIS many chapters! I've never really gone over twenty five before! @_@ Oh yes um…this is the FINAL Seiftis chapter ENJOY! ^^   
  
  
  
Chapter 33 – Words Not Spoken  
  
  
  
That night, he decided to take her home. Travis and Charlotte went ahead, because Charlotte seemed tired from work and Travis needed to get home to finish his homework. Of course, Quistis didn't need to get home right away because she already finished all her homework for tomorrow and the next day. Seifer offered to take the blond girl home safely and as they head for the car, Quistis found herself holding Seifer's hand. The tall blond man didn't seem to mind that she was doing this, and somehow, for the both of them it felt good. It wasn't until they got to the car did they let go of each other. Quistis hopped on to the passenger seat, while Seifer unlocked his side of the door to the driver's seat.   
  
As he let the car drive away from the parking lot, they were silent for those five minutes, until Seifer suddenly mentioned something he never thought he would. "So, the funeral will be held the day after the dance," he announced.  
  
Quistis looked up, staring at the side of his face and nodded. "Oh…"  
  
"So…" Seifer wasn't sure how to approach this. He wasn't really good at inviting people, especially not a girl. "Uh well, you know if you want to come…" He shrugged. "You can come and visit. It's going to be at the Valley View Funeral home. If you want I can pick you up and we can go there together."  
  
The blond girl smiled and nodded. "That would be nice. I would like to meet your mom." Confused by her answer, Seifer glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. Quistis must have noticed this because she added, "Even if I never met her, I can still see that she has raised you well, which means I already know what kind of mother she was to you."   
  
Seifer suddenly laughed. "Was that a compliment coming from you?"  
  
Quistis smiled. "I think so, unless you want to call it an insult."  
  
The blond man shook his head. "No, not at all…I really like to hear your voice." Damn! He thought. He wasn't supposed to say that out loud. Okay, change the subject! Change the subject!   
  
The girl beside him blushed.  
  
"Well um…" Seifer cleared his throat and tried to focus his eyes more on the road. "So are you still going to the dance with that Jer-I mean Jacque?" Oh great! Good going with changing the subject, now you're just making it worse!  
  
Quistis nodded. "Yes, I think so, unless there's a reason for me not to." She wanted him to say it. She wanted him to say: "Actually I WANT to go with you, Quistis." But then again….Quistis sighed deeply in her throat so Seifer couldn't hear. She knew it was just a little fantasy of hers.   
  
However, Seifer was thinking of the exact opposite. He wanted to go with her, wanted to dance with her and feel her long, silky blond tresses against his fingers. Maybe tonight was the right moment to tell her how he felt? Maybe….Seifer suddenly pulled over at the side of the road, just in front of McDonald's and turned off the engine. The blond turned his head to her, readied himself to say something and said, "Oh…..okay…." Idiot! Idiot! You get ten points for being a LOSER!   
  
Confused, Quistis just nodded and watched him turn back around and turn the engine back on again. There was silence between them now, one unable to say a word to the other. Quistis hated the silence, even if her whole life has been nothing but silence between her and her father, this was her only chance to finally talk to someone she knew she can trust. Taking a deep breath, as soon as the car turned towards a curb down to Maryland, Quistis turned her head at him. "You know Seifer, I'm sick of this! Tell me how you really feel about me!"  
  
Seifer allowed the car to get to the very front of Charlotte's driveway before turning off the engine and taking a deep breath. When he knew he was ready, he turned to look at the passenger seat where Quistis was sitting. She staring eagerly up at him, her hands rested at her side and her eyes searching for an answer. "I…I don't know how I feel okay!?"  
  
"What do you mean you don't!? What's with the entire holding hands thing when we were leaving the police department? What's with all the jealousy with Jacque!? I know how you feel about me okay?! So just TELL me!!!"  
  
"Oh right, like I would fall for someone like YOU…" 'Bad move pal!' a voice said in his head.   
  
Those words had hit her hard and as soon as she heard them, she knew she had to leave. She had to get out of here. She had enough of his hurtful words. Even if he begs for her to forgive him, she couldn't….she wouldn't. However, as soon as she made a move to open the door to her side, Seifer had reached over to grab her wrist. Quistis screamed for him to let go, but Seifer, the man who would dare try to change who she was in the inside, was very persistent in what he did and didn't listen to her request. She tried to release herself from his grasp, but he had quickly pulled her against him and took her in for a warm embrace. Something she hasn't felt in a long time. Not even her father would dare hug her so she wouldn't cry.   
  
"Dammit! Dammit!" he suddenly hissed. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it! I really…didn't mean it." He pulled her only an inch away from him and lifted her chin up with his hand to make her look at him. "I hate seeing you cry and I hate it even more if I'm the one responsible for making you cry. I'm not really good at expressing my feelings and if I am pressured into expressing my feelings out loud, it comes out rather harsh. I'm sorry…"   
  
Quistis stared into his eyes. She wanted to hate him, wanted to hit him so bad for saying those words that she knew weren't true. She's heard those words before. From her father and usually, she would just let it go, forget about what he said, but from Seifer….she couldn't ignore it. She couldn't take her eyes off of his. Seifer wasn't lying to her. She leaned closer, taking a deep breath and their lips met into a tender kiss.   
  
Everything was erased that night. All the worries that burdened her were washed away with a gentle wave. His kisses were warm and she felt his arms go around her waist, pulling her against him. Then…she quickly pulled herself away from him, allowing both of them some breathing space. Even if she did let go, Quistis wanted to kiss him more, but it was late and they had school tomorrow. Their foreheads met in a gentle touch and they allowed each other to rest their foreheads against one another, their hands intertwined. None of them said a word, because the kiss they shared had already confirmed what they felt about one another.   
  
But for Seifer, there was one question that has been gnawing at his insides that he had to get out. "So…are you still going to the dance with Jacque?"  
  
Quistis smiled. "Well, if you want to go the dance with me, I wouldn't mind trading my date." She gave a heartfelt laugh, one that Seifer has never heard from her and it sounded wonderful in his ears, that he couldn't resist kissing her again. "But you don't have a ticket and it would be rude to turn him down after he asked me."   
  
Seifer, suddenly pulled back again and whispered, "You DO know what he's planning on doing don't you?"  
  
The blond girl nodded. "I can take care of myself." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and opened her door. "But I'll see you tomorrow." With that said she got out of the car and walked to her house. Quistis stopped only a meter away from the front door and turned, waving goodbye as Seifer pulled away from the sidewalk and down the street back to his house.   
  
  
  
************************  
  
  
  
The day of the dance was the only topic all the students talked about during class, after class, during lunch and after lunch, until it was four more hours to the dance. Seifer was tired of hearing it, knowing he couldn't go, knowing that he was probably the only one NOT going. Quistis and himself walked together in the morning and didn't see each other until he spotted her by the crowd, helping put up the posters for the dance, but that was still enough for the both of them. As long as he could see her smile and getting along well with the other students and not bullied by Brandy and her 'cronies,' it was just enough. For Quistis, as long as she could see Seifer standing tall and handsome in the crowd, with his smirk whenever students whispered some things about him, it made her feel the same; happy and in love. She blushed when she thought about that word….love. Maybe it was love that drove them together.   
  
Quistis sighed as the last poster, which was for the ticket sales up at the large gym door. She took a quick glance at the clock in the hallway and read that there was still three hours left before the big night for her to go home, get ready and wait for Jacque to pick her up. It took her a moment to realize that she was the only one in the hallway and everyone else had probably gone home already to get changed into their formal attire. Sighing, she stepped down from the ladder and snapped it back to its place, before picking it up with both her hands and dragged it just a couple of steps down to the janitor's closet. As soon as she stepped out, a shadow that suddenly appeared behind her, startled Quistis out of her wits and she gasped back in surprise before looking up to see Brandy and two of her friends glaring at her.   
  
"So you're ACTUALLY going to the dance, eh? I thought that maybe if you didn't go with Seifer, you wouldn't be going since you NEED a date to the dance. It was lucky enough Jacque, the French Hottie asked you to the dance. But THAT still won't bring you to the inner circle that you desire." She folded her arms across her chest and smiled evilly at her.  
  
Quistis stood her ground. "Even IF I didn't have a date, I would still go to the dance. And why would I be in your 'inner circle?' I would rather be dead than join your stupid group!" She glared back at Brandy and made to move, but the stubborn young woman with reddish brown hair, slammed a hand to Quistis' right so she couldn't go anywhere and leered down at her.   
  
"Wow, I can't believe you're actually talking back to me! You've got guts! I never thought you had it in you…" Brandy gave her another sneer, before she turned around and left. As she turned the corner, she passed by Seifer, who in turn gave her the coldest look she has ever seen. She paused and glanced at him sideways. "Too bad you won't be there tonight. You would miss out on so many 'good' things at the dance." She gave a snort, before walking away, followed by her two friends.  
  
"She's right…" Seifer said, approaching Quistis, who was just closing the janitor's closet door behind her. "I never thought you had it in you either."  
  
Quistis laughed. "Well, you've taught me a lot of things." She walked back to the ticket sales table and picked up the tape dispenser, the scissors and the large unused white poster board in her arms and it ended up falling on the ground. Seifer picked it up and followed Quistis down to the supplies room.   
  
"I guess I DON'T need to worry about you, after seeing you back there," Seifer said, when they had put all the things back in the supply room and were now walking back down the hallway. "But….what things HAVE I taught you? I don't remember teaching you to bad mouth back to Brandy."  
  
The blond girl shrugged. "Must be your confidence," she replied.  
  
Seifer snorted and stared at her curiously. "My confidence? I don't have that much confidence and if you're talking about me beating up your dad, to tell you the truth, I was freaked out…He was MUCH taller than me you know."  
  
Quistis laughed. "No, it's not that. What I mean is…you have confidence in yourself. You don't care about what other people think about you. That's always been my problem ever since I hit high school. I didn't want to be friends with any of the kids, because I was scared about what they think of me. And when I did that, other kids started talking about me behind my back and rumors began to spread. They didn't like me at all and I grew distant from them."  
  
Seifer rolled his eyes and for some reason, reached out to grab her hand as they walked down the hall. "That's because those kids were morons," he simply said. "They believed in stupid rumors and most of them are JUST rumors anyway! I HATE it when people do that…."  
  
The blond girl squeezed his hand gently and smiled up at him. "So what does this mean?"  
  
"What does what mean?"  
  
"……"   
  
"What?" Seifer stared at her curiously.  
  
Quistis gave him a strange look and lifted up their hands together in front of him. "US you idiot!" she gave a short chuckle, before putting their hands down beside them.  
  
"Oh…" Seifer rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well of course we're dating! What does it look like!?"  
  
"I guess we are!" she laughed, that joyful laugh Seifer loved to hear and let go of his hand. She hopped ahead of him, putting her hands behind her back and skipped down the hallway. "You know, it's quite nice with this school so quiet…without people."  
  
Seifer looked around. Indeed, it felt nice. There was no noise, there was no crowd that usually drove him nuts if he had to go to the other side towards the cafeteria and there was definitely no Brandy and Jacque to stare back at him with their demonic eyes. He glanced ahead of him to see Quistis continually skipping down the hall like an excited child in an amusement park. "Seifer," she suddenly said. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "I'm glad I met you."  
  
"You know, that's very corny," he said, smirking as he caught up to her.   
  
Quistis glared at him, slapping the back of Seifer's head when she finally had the chance. "Hey! Come on! I'm trying to express my feelings here!"  
  
"All right! All right! Geez! You don't have to slap me so hard!" Seifer hissed, rubbing his injured head. "Damn woman, must you be so-!" He was interrupted when Quistis suddenly moved towards him and gave him a kiss.  
  
After a while, she let go, leaving a shocked expression on Seifer's face. "Must I be so what?"  
  
Seifer blinked. "Uh….I forgot."  
  
  
  
  
  
*****************************  
  
  
  
"Hmph! So it IS true! I cannot believe zis! What do we do?" he turned to glance at his companion.   
  
Brandy leaned close to him and curled a strand of his dark hair around her finger. "Don't worry about it! You heard what I found out from Lisa, she's going with you still! She's too nice to turn a handsome guy like you! It won't be long until we get to have our fun!" (A/N: *snicker* nice girl indeed! Wait until the dance! ;))   
  
Jacque turned around to face her and placed his hands around her waist and smiled. "Let me ask you zis. What exactly do you have against zis girl?"  
  
Brandy frowned. "Why are you asking? Are you telling me that this girl is NOT worth getting revenge on!?" She let go of him and planted both her fists on her waist. Brandy pouted, knowing full well that Jacque couldn't resist that look on her face.  
  
"Non, non, of course not…arggh! You are very irresistible!" He leaned down and began kissing her neck, her cheeks and finally, her lips. They were now lost in their own passion to care that Seifer and Quistis had left the building.  
  
  
  
********************************  
  
  
  
Night time quickly came. He found himself, for some reason, standing behind a tree, watching at the exact moment she came out of the house all dressed up. Seifer's eyes went from a roundness of curiosity to an oval shaped look of shock when he noticed the gown she was wearing. It was dark red, with black designs all around it, a perfect pick for someone as beautiful as Quistis Trepe. Seifer smiled as she stepped out of the house, escorted by….his fists tightened immediately at the sight of Jacque, the man who would be at the dance with HIS woman. "Calm down….calm down….She'll be fine…." Seifer said to himself. Snap! The blond man looked down and noticed that the twig he was holding snapped in two. He sighed, throwing the twig aside and stuffed his clenched fists in his trench coat pocket.   
  
"If you're THAT worried about her…" Startled by the voice behind him, Seifer jerked his whole body around and noticed Charlotte standing there, holding two paper bags full of groceries in her arms.   
  
"Geez, you scared me!" Seifer spoke, taking a deep breath.  
  
"If you're THAT worried about her, then why don't you just go with her?" Charlotte asked, adjusting the stuff in her arms.  
  
Seifer said nothing for a while, as he took one heavy paper bag off of Charlotte's way and put it in his own arms. As soon as he adjusted it in his own arms, the blond man sighed and looked over his shoulder as the car drove away towards Balamb High. "You know I can't," he said.  
  
"Who said you couldn't?" She walked pass him and began walking back inside the house. Seifer followed suit. "I mean it's not like you can't do anything about it. I seriously don't trust that boy she went with." Charlotte unlocked the door and opened it wide, leaving Seifer room to squeeze through. She removed her shoes quickly and walked over to the kitchen to put the groceries down on the counter.   
  
"What do you suggest I do? Follow them and make sure NOTHING happens? There's going to be security guards there anyway. Last year it was so bad that the Principal had to put security guards around the doors and checking around the premises, making sure NO ONE gets through without a ticket." He did the same with his groceries and placed it beside the other one.  
  
Charlotte shrugged, slowly taking out the groceries out of the paper bag one at a time, once in a while, glancing at the worried look on Seifer's face. "Well, aren't you the type of guy who doesn't follow the rules?" She gave Seifer a reassuring smile.  
  
"What's this?" he asked suddenly, putting all the canned tomatoes on the counter. "Is this Charlotte Meyers I'm talking to?"  
  
The dark haired woman shrugged and turned her head away from the blond to continue putting away her groceries inside the cabinet. "Hey I was ONCE a teenager you know. I've….broken rules before. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Besides…" She stopped whatever she was doing and looked up at Seifer. "Even if she says she'll be fine, SOMEONE should be there to support her. And I just don't trust this Jacque fellow. With her mother gone and her father in jail, I'm the only parent in her life now…" She kept his gaze on him, telling him with her eyes that she meant every word she said.   
  
Seifer nodded. "I understand." Yes, he understood every word she said. Even if she doesn't say it, Charlotte was VERY worried for her niece and just by looking at her, brought back memories to the time his mother was still alive and worried and cried over him when he didn't come home after his parents announced they were getting a divorce. She tried her best to keep a straight face when he finally DID come home, but Seifer could tell she was crying a lot with just one glimpse of her red eyes. With that thought out of his mind, Seifer continued to help Charlotte with the groceries and just as he was about to grab the dozen eggs from the paper bag, Charlotte's hand went over his shoulder. He glanced at her and she gave a smile.  
  
"You know even if Quistis doesn't admit it, I know that she is truly happy with you now. When she moved here, I never noticed the smile on her face. I could tell it was all a lie, but when she came home yesterday, there was a real glow on her face." She removed her hand, keeping the smile on her face.  
  
Seifer thought of her smile and nodded. "Yes, when she smiles, it's like the clouds above me had begun to clear, replacing them with sunshine."  
  
Charlotte laughed. "You sound like a poet!"  
  
Seifer just shrugged. "I guess I got the poetic talents from her."  
  
"You should go and catch up to her, make sure that kid doesn't do anything he'll regret." She patted him once more on the shoulder and went back to putting away the groceries. She listened as Seifer mumbled, 'thank you' to her, before turning around and leaving the house.  
  
"No…I should be the one thanking you," she whispered to herself.  
  
  
  
~7:03pm Balamb High Spring Dance at the large gymnasium~  
  
  
  
"Oh damn! Who is that babe!?"   
  
"I want a piece of her!"  
  
"Oh geez, WHAT is she wearing? Is that like a dress or a cloth!?" A girl with blond braids nudged her friend standing beside her, who seemed quiet than usual. "Do you see that Brandy!? I can't believe she actually showed up!"  
  
Brandy said nothing and shrugged. "So what? It's not like it's going to ruin anything." She turned away and began pouring punch in her glass, hiding the fact that she was grinning from head to toe, knowing of what will become of Quistis Trepe in the middle of the dance. She could feel her friend staring at the back of her head. The red head rolled her eyes. "Maryanne, you should just ignore it and enjoy the dance, all right!?"  
  
Maryanne gave her another knowing look and walked back to where they were seated with their friends. Brandy joined them a few seconds later and watched as Quistis and Jacque made their way to a table across from them. When she had the chance at that moment, Brandy grinned and winked at Jacque from the table. Jacque did so in return, but had to look away when Quistis began talking to him.  
  
"Wow, I've never been in a dance before!" Quistis gasped, looking around quite excitedly, while at the same time, trying to keep her composure.   
  
"Well, you will see soon enough how EXCITING it will be mademoiselle!" Jacque lifted up Quistis' right hand and kissed the back of it gently. The blond smiled, but in the back of her head, she imagined cutting his lips that was basically trying to run his tongue over her hand with a bread knife, but that would be too messy to begin with. She would require something quieter and less revealing so no one will ever know what she's done to him. Then again, she wasn't a murderer….   
  
He kept his lips on her hand.  
  
Yet…  
  
Suddenly, the moment the Principal came into the front to talk in the microphone, everything was quiet. "All right! Good evening everyone! Welcome to the annual Balamb High Spring Dance!" With these words, loud cheers and hoots were heard around the gymnasium from the nicely dressed students. "This dance is for anyone and EVERYONE who goes to this school, but this is a lot more special since it's the last year of our seniors here in Balamb High!"  
  
Again, another cheer and loud claps, but this time, it came from the seniors.  
  
"All I have to say is….good luck seniors and HAVE FUN TONIGHT!" With those last words, he lifted up his hand like a dictator dictating to some of his people, but even then, none of the students cared enough about that little 'fact,' instead, they cheered and hooted and clapped even louder than before. Principal Belaford stepped out of the podium to join the other teachers watching the dance, making sure no one would slip any alcohol into the drinks. The next one to step into the podium was now the DJ, who went into his corner to start the music. "All right dance goers, let's start this night off with a little fast music to get your heart pumpin'!" he spoke, almost kissing the microphone.   
  
Again, more cheers and as soon as the music started many of those sitting down, stood up and joined their partners on the dance floor. Quistis watched students trying to dance, while others (mostly those who were members of the Dance Club and were girls), danced naturally, putting their own style into it. Brandy was dancing with a very familiar face and the blond girl was shocked to realize that it was Travis she was dancing with. She wondered what happened to HIS date, but then again it wasn't really her business. Quistis noticed Selphie and Zell having the time of their lives. Suddenly, Jacque's hand went on top of hers. It lingered there for a while, until he grabbed it around his fingers and grinned at her. "Want to dance?"   
  
In the back of her head, she wanted to refuse, but she couldn't just sit there and make a fool out of herself. Brandy would surely get a kick out of that, so Quistis smiled, nodded and stood up. She was slowly led into the dance floor and by the time they reached a spot, the fast music stopped, followed by a slow one. "Great timing!" Jacque whispered in her ear. He pulled her closer in his arms and led her into the slow beat. Everyone else around them did the same, lost in their own world to see who was dancing around them. Quistis had no choice but to put her head on his shoulder, but as soon as she did, she rolled her eyes, imagining breaking Jacque's neck with her bare hands. It would be interesting to do, but it still wasn't the right time. Jacque really didn't do anything to embarrass her….yet. "Hey," he suddenly whispered in her ear. "Do you want to go outside for a little bit?"  
  
Quistis pulled away slowly and looked at him. "Why?"  
  
Jacque smiled softly and pulled her close again. "I want to show you something wonderful at the football field. It's very beautiful really when you watch it at night."  
  
"Watch what?" Now she was getting curious. It couldn't hurt to risk what he would have in store for her.   
  
"Every night, there is zis how should I say… fireflies that fly around. They are very beautiful."  
  
'Oh yes, fireflies, in the middle of the field,' she thought. 'Very romantic indeed, Jacque. Aren't you such a good little liar?' She smiled and nodded, deciding to play along and wonder where this was going. "All right, let's see these fireflies."  
  
Jacque grinned again, taking her hand in his. 'Yes! She's taking it! HAH! HAH!' He turned around and pulled her with him, leading her to the back entrance of the gymnasium, which quickly led to the football field. He quietly closed the door behind them and smiled again. "You will love it. Now, I want you to close your eyes."  
  
"My eyes? Why?"  
  
"Go on! Close it!" Jacque had a demanding tone on this, but Quistis still played along, to make him believe she didn't know what SURPRISE he had for her, so she closed her eyes. "Good! Now, I want you to follow me!" He led her down somewhere, since Quistis could see nothing but darkness and after a couple more steps, they stopped.   
  
Quistis shivered. "Jacque, it's getting cold, can we go back inside now?" She frowned, her eyes still closed and her patience running out.   
  
"Not yet. Just hang on just a little longer!"   
  
The blond sighed. "Okay."  
  
  
  
********************  
  
"I'll kill you if you do anything to her Jacque!!!!" he howled, walking towards the front door of the gym.   
  
"Hey! STOP!" He felt a pair of large hands on his shoulders. Seifer stopped and turned around and noticed a tall, bald headed security guard glaring down at him. "Do you have a ticket, young man?" He stepped in between Seifer and the entrance door to the gymnasium.  
  
"I need to get in there! I lost my ticket, okay!? I can't find it and now someone I care about is in there, probably being groped by another guy that I LOATHED so much! Will you PLEASE let me in!?"  
  
It seemed the man was thinking about what he said, but Seifer wasn't out of the hole yet when the man shook his head, placing his hand in front of him as if expecting for the blond to put the ticket on his hand after all. "Even if it's personal emergency, I still can't let you through. It's school regulations that anyone without the ticket MAY NOT enter!"  
  
"FINE! Forget it then…you lame ass…." He mumbled, as he turned and left. The only entrance now was through the football field, which he knew Principal Belaford wasn't going to have monitored, since the fences were already kept locked to keep anyone out. Seifer was lucky to know the way through the fences without being caught.  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
"NOW!" Jacque roared.  
  
"What?" Quistis didn't expect him to yell so loud! She opened her eyes quickly, but the last thing she saw was a flash in front of her, followed by loud laughter around her. Suddenly, she felt cold and as she looked down, her chest was revealed. Three people she never knew were there, had suddenly appeared, one holding a camera in his hand, grinning from head to toe. Jacque was looking at her up and down, standing just behind her. "What a beautiful view!" he said.  
  
"So what does it feel like to be, 'popular' Ms. Math Trepe?" Brandy laughed.  
  
Quistis quickly lifted up her ripped dress up her chest, her face so red that no one can tell now WHICH was redder, her dress, or her face. She turned around, gave Jacque a look of pure hatred and clenched her right fist, while her left hand held the dress tightly over her bare chest. Without knowing it, her clenched fist suddenly connected with Jacque's face. The laughter paused and Quistis watched as Jacque fell unconscious on the ground.   
  
"JACQUE!" Brandy squealed, running to her boyfriend's side. "WHY YOU….!" She stood back up and charged forward towards the blond girl.   
  
"Ouch…" Quistis murmured, rubbing her sore right fist. She looked up just in time to see Brandy charging towards her, but her dress got caught from the heel of her shoes and she fell flat forward with her face on the ground. The blond girl rolled her eyes. "Oh geez…."  
  
"Quistis!" Immediately after that happened, Quistis looked up to find Seifer, followed by Zell and Selphie running up to her. The other two who were there, turned and began to run.  
  
"HEY!" Quistis screamed. "Give me back my pictures you jerks!"   
  
"What?" Seifer asked the moment he got to her. He glanced down at the unconscious Jacque and looked up at her.  
  
"What are you talking about Quisty!?" Selphie wondered, only noticed the two running away.   
  
"They have the pictures of me in there!"  
  
"STOP TH-!" Selphie yelled, but before she could finish her sentence, Zell was already running towards the one holding the camera. Since he was a football player running in the field, it was easy to catch up to the young freshman, even with the wrong type of shoes. The blond tackled the younger man to the ground, the camera falling hard on the newly sprinkled grass.   
  
Quistis sighed and turned around to look at Seifer. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Seifer shrugged. "Um…well I was worried about you and…" He looked around, trying to avoid her eyes, but ended up looking back down at the unconscious French guy. "Did you do that to him?"  
  
The blond girl glared down at Jacque. "Either that or he fell down on the ground himself like that."  
  
Selphie stared at her in shock. "You…punched him!"  
  
"I was mad…You'd be too if he took a picture of my naked chest!"  
  
Seifer's eyes turned into thin slits. "He WHAT!?"   
  
Zell appeared a few seconds later, dragging with him the scared freshman with the camera. "Here's the sneak," he said.   
  
Seifer grabbed the camera from the younger boy's hand and glared at him. "James Haughton…" he mumbled. "I KNEW something was up with you, always following Brandy like a little puppy dog."  
  
Quistis looked at the short freshman in shock. "I was NICE to you! Why did you do that!?" She shivered as wind went down her back. She felt something warm go around her shoulders. The blond girl looked up and noticed that Seifer had put his trench coat over her shoulders and was now buttoning it to make sure no cold wind could go through her bare skin. "Thank you," she whispered to him.   
  
"She….she…SHE THREATENED ME!" His eyes turned into thin slits of fear when he noticed Brandy slowly getting up from the ground, her face now covered in dirt.  
  
"WHO YOU LITTLE-!"   
  
"That's enough! What's going on here!?"   
  
All heads turned to the direction of the voice. Principal Belaford was standing there, with his arms folded across his chest. Two teachers were standing to either side of him, while other students, who had seen the whole thing, watched curiously from behind him. "Principal Belaford, thank God you're here!" Brandy squealed, going up to him and tugging at his shirt. "Seifer came and ATTACKED me and Quistis! So Jacque came to help us, but Seifer was so strong!"  
  
"What!?" Seifer screamed, ready to lunge at her, but Quistis' arm had snaked itself around his arm, calming him down a bit. "That's a lie!"   
  
"YOU'RE THE LIAR! Principal! You should know him better than me! He's ALWAYS had the reputation of being a troublemaker in the school! So…Send him home or something! Put him in jail for attacking me! He's just a psycho who likes to attack people! He should be-!" She was stopped short when Quistis slapped her across the face. Brandy stared at her, while Quistis held her gaze towards the other girl.   
  
"Don't you DARE call him a psycho you selfish, snot-nosed BRAT!" Quistis spat.   
  
Brandy was about to charge again, when Principal Belaford grabbed her by the arm. "All right, that's enough. No more fighting, I've seen enough! Brandy, Quistis, Seifer and James, come to my office right now! Someone…please wake up Mr. Johnson from his sleep there," he spoke, pointing to Jacque.  
  
"What? Who's Mr. Johnson?" Brandy asked.  
  
Belaford looked at her. "Why, it's the one whom you call, Jacque, Ms. McFadden."  
  
Zell kneeled down besides Jacque and slapped his face silly until he opened his eyes groggily. "Hey wake up, Jacque or whoever the hell you are!" He practically pulled him up on his feet.  
  
"Jacque? Baby are you all right?"   
  
Jacque nodded. "Oui my love," he whispered.  
  
Belaford rolled his eyes. "All right, enough with your games Vernon Johnson!" He took Vernon's arm (Jacque) and pulled him back inside, followed by Quistis, Seifer, Brandy and James.   
  
"Wait! Who's Vernon Johnson! Why do you keep calling him that Principal!?"  
  
Belaford looked at her. "Because he IS Vernon Johnson! He moved here a couple of weeks ago from South Carolina."  
  
"What? You mean the guy who practically wears the same underwear over and over again!?" Zell gave Vernon a disgusted look.   
  
"Is not true Bleach!" Suddenly, the French accent was gone, replacing it with a heavy thick southern accent. "I don't wear them over and over agin! I clean 'em too, by hand washing 'em!"  
  
Once those words came out of his mouth, Brandy collapsed on the floor in shock.  
  
  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
  
"Well, this has been an interesting night," Principal Belaford spoke, walking around to sit on his chair. He glanced at the five people involved in this some kind of drama that went on in the football field. Even though Zell didn't need to be there, he decided to let the blond stay anyway to keep James from getting away. It seems the boy was terrified out of his mind, as if expected to be tortured or something that at any time now, he was ready to make a break for it. Brandy was still trying to recover from finding out the real truth about her 'Jacque,' trying desperately to hang on to something, while the man himself, seemed overly confident, twitching at every movement of emotions on his face since the hit he got from Quistis still seemed too painful for him. The blond girl calmly clasped her hands in front of her, standing as still as possible. Seifer had his arms folded across his chest, tapping impatiently as Mr. Belaford prepared to talk and holding something in his right hand. "Okay, I don't want to know WHAT personal matters went on tonight, all I want to know is, WHY…" He turned his eyes towards Quistis. He had seen her hit the poor young man.  
  
Quistis was about to say something, when Seifer decided to interfere. "Belaford, that Jacque, or Vernon, or whatever- is in coerced with Brandy and this James guy!"  
  
Belaford lifted a curious eyebrow, his eyes still on the blond girl. "And how is that?"   
  
Again, Seifer interfered, which was driving the middle aged man nuts. "Vernon took her in the middle of the field and-!" He paused when their nicely dressed Principal lifted up a hand to stop him.   
  
"I don't need the exact details, I already know and Mr. Almasy, I was asking Ms. Trepe the question not you. So…" His eyes slipped from Quistis to Brandy, who was once again on the verge or collapsing, but managed to stand on her feet. "Ms. McFadden and Mr. Johnson, you two were somehow…dating is that correct?"  
  
"Oh yes, very much!" Vernon replied, grinning at Brandy.  
  
Brandy rolled her eyes, planting both her fists on her hips. She seemed to have gotten her 'groove' back together. "No, we weren't. We were just….FOOLING around. We weren't really dating."  
  
Vernon's face fell immediately and said nothing. At that moment, Belaford almost felt sorry for the boy, but decided that it wasn't a good idea, since he already knew what Vernon was up to the moment he stepped into his office. He knew Brandy well too, so he didn't need to complain about anything. Brandy McFadden was the only girl he knew from any other girls who never went for a serious relationship. "Okay, this is an interesting input but I won't hold THAT against you both. Where does James fit in all of this?" This time, he glanced at Seifer. "I suppose you already know the answer to that as well, Mr. Almasy?"  
  
Seifer nodded, moving to hand the item from his hand to the Principal. Belaford took it curiously and realized that the item he was holding this whole time was a camera. "Brandy and JACQUE hired James here-" He paused to pull James in front of him, "to take a picture of her naked!" That thought made him cringe in frustration.   
  
Belaford looked at James eye to eye. "Is this true Mr. Haughton?"  
  
James nodded slowly, his eyes sinking down to the bottom. "Yes, Principal," he said softly.   
  
The middle aged man nodded. He was quite surprised really, why James Haughton, an honor student could be involved in something like this. "Well, since we have the camera and there's nothing else Brandy can do anymore to harm you Ms. Trepe, you and James may go back to the dance. Ms. McFadden and Mr. Johnson, you stay here, I need to speak with you some more."  
  
"Principal?" Quistis finally spoke. "What about Seifer, sir?"  
  
"Seifer?" Belaford glanced at the tall blond man, looking at him up and down. He wore a dark shirt and dark blue jeans with black, army boots pants. It was odd really, seeing the tall youth without his trench coat. Quistis was still wearing it over her shoulder, much too big for her. "Well, he's not exactly dressed for the occasion, but I think I can let you join the dance so he can accompany you."  
  
"Thank you, sir," the blond girl said, now glowing. She reached over and grabbed Seifer's hand. Seifer nodded and together they filed out of the room, followed closely behind by Zell, who was standing and listening quietly this whole time. He met Selphie on their way back to the gymnasium. James was the last to leave and without a word, went back inside the gym, guilt still etched in his mind.   
  
There were whispers and some glances the moment Seifer and Quistis stepped back into the gymnasium, but the two blonds, with their fingers intertwined, didn't care much of what the students were doing. A slow music as playing and all Quistis could think about was Seifer. The blond man pulled her into the dance floor and placed his hand around her waist, leading her into a slow dance. Not too long, Zell and Selphie joined them on the dance floor. Garrett, who appeared out of nowhere, began dancing with a pretty senior with long dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. Quistis immediately recognized her as Juliet Yang, Quistis' friend from art class.   
  
"You know, I was impressed by the way you hit Vernon square in the face, right to where it would leave him unconscious," Seifer whispered in her ear. He pulled away and looked down at her, grinning.  
  
Quistis frowned. "It's not funny," she spoke, adjusting her dress again, making sure it wouldn't fall off. "I didn't mean to hit him that hard." She moved her hands to reach behind her in order to fix the zipper, but Seifer's hand found its way there first, reaching underneath his jacket and quickly zipping it up. She blushed at the contact, but it felt quite good since his hands felt warm and inviting. Slowly, Seifer moved his hand up to zip up her dress and his hands found his way back into a dancing position.   
  
"Better?" Seifer whispered again.  
  
Quistis nodded and smiled, wrapping her arm around his neck. "How did you fix my dress like that? I remember Vernon basically ripped the dress off of me."  
  
Seifer winked at her. "Magic," he simply said.  
  
The blond girl laughed. "Oh? So you DO believe in magic? Me, I believe in miracles," she said, closing her eyes again. "It's a miracle that I was able to find someone as good as you."  
  
Seifer snorted. "How am I 'good' exactly?"  
  
"Simple….all good things come from bad people."  
  
That phrase made Seifer laugh as he held her tightly in his arms. Quistis rested her head on his shoulders, wishing that this night will never ever end.   
  
  
  
************************  
  
  
  
Rain fell heavily upon them, but the quiet taps of the water from the sky was the only noise being made that morning. Everything else was quiet as they listened to Father Grey speaking, while Lynette Almasy's casket was being lowered into the depth of the earth. He felt his hand being squeezed gently by someone and he looked up to see Quistis giving him a reassuring smile. He felt a lot better now that she was here. He somehow felt no fear or sadness whenever she was nearby.   
  
Across from where he was, stood Bryan, his stepsister and his stepmother, who all looked sullen, despite Seifer's stepmother's lack of knowledge about Lynette. And as soon as Father Grey finished talking, he nodded to Seifer and the blond took a step forward, grabbing a handful of dirt from the pile and threw it gently on top of the casket. Quistis did the same, her hand still intertwined with his and followed him as they walked around the casket before stopping to stand again on the same spot they were before. Next, came Bryan, Halle and their daughter, Dominique. Dominique, innocent as ever, tugged at her mother's sleeve. "Mama? Is someone sleeping in there?"  
  
Halle nodded and gently took her daughter's hand, squeezing it ever so gently. "Yes, someone is sleeping in there."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Well….she had an accident, so she has to sleep in there for a long time."  
  
Dominique gave her mother another curious look. "How long?"  
  
Halle kneeled down until she was up to her daughter's eye level and hugged her. "I don't know how long, but I know she won't ever wake up again."  
  
Seifer listened to these words, but decided to ignore them. He approached Dominique silently and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Hey, kiddo, would you like to have some ice cream after this?"  
  
Dominique's eyes widened in excitement. "Okay!"   
  
Quistis smiled at him.  
  
"Good, then stop asking questions," he said, grinning at his stepsister.  
  
The little blond girl nodded, then suddenly took her big brother's hand. Surprised at this, Seifer glanced up at Halle, who had stood back up. She gave a silent nod and watched as Dominique, holding Seifer's hand tightly, joined her big brother and Quistis to the side.   
  
After Bryan and Halle, no one else came, except for one other person, whom all of them never expected to be there. Seifer immediately recognized Martine as he marched around the casket and grabbed a handful of the dirt and tossed it gently down on the casket. After him, no one else came.   
  
Father Grey left after consoling to the family. It was now Seifer, Quistis, Dominique, Bryan and Halle last to leave. However, as soon as Seifer and Quistis turned to leave, they were stopped by someone calling Seifer's name. The blond man stopped and looked over his shoulder as Martine approached them. "Seifer," he said, nodding.  
  
Seifer nodded back.  
  
Martine took a deep breath, before nodding at Quistis and said, "I just want to tell you that I'm leaving for California tomorrow."  
  
Seifer turned away and said nothing. "That's good to know. I'm not surprised anyway, since you're good at leaving. I don't know why you have to tell me."  
  
"It's because I want to ask you to come with me," Martine suddenly said, surprising Quistis and Seifer.  
  
The young blond man turned to look at him. "What?"  
  
"I want to spend time with you before you move on with your life after high school. I want to know what it feels like to be a father." Martine stuffed his hands in his pockets and sighed. "I guess it was lame for me to say that, since I already DID have a chance to be your father and I never stuck around to figure that out for myself. All I'm asking is for a second chance."  
  
Seifer glared at him. "You already HAD your chance, so why should I-!" He paused when he felt Quistis squeezing his hand gently. The blond man took a deep breath and said, "I'm glad that you want to spend your time with me, Dad, but…I don't want to leave. I want to stay right here with the people that I care about." He glanced at Quistis and smiled at her. "And be with the people that care about me." Seifer turned his head towards Bryan and his new family and smiled. Bryan nodded, Halle smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes and Dominique watched innocently at her big brother.  
  
Martine nodded. "I understand. I guess I can't convince you anymore, since you've already moved on with your life. Hah, that's what I get for missing those seventeen years of your life."   
  
He was about to turn and walk away, when Seifer said, "Hey, dad?"   
  
Surprised, Martine stopped and turned around to look at him. "What is it?"  
  
"Why don't you come with us? We're going out to lunch."   
  
Martine blinked and glanced over at Bryan, who nodded reassuringly at him that it was all right. "Well, I don't know…I don't think I should come with you guys. I mean, you're family and- I really need to pack and-!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Seifer interrupted. "You ARE family. I called you 'dad' didn't I?" He gave an attempt to truly smile, but it ended up into a smirk.   
  
Martine decided to think of that as a good smile and shrugged. "If you want."  
  
"Of course we want you there, Martine," Bryan said. "Families stick together, right?" He gently took Halle's hand in his and squeezed it gently. Dominique approached her big brother and wrapped her little arms around his leg. Seifer placed a hand on her head and smiled up at Martine. "Right," he whispered.   
  
Martine looked at Bryan and gave a smile. "Sure," he finally said, stuffing his hands in his pockets the second time.   
  
  
  
GoodGurl: WEEE!! Finished with the Seiftis! Next will be the final Zelphie (which explains why Garrett was at the dance) and Squinoa (which will explain why Rinoa wasn't at the dance either). After that, will the FINAL FINAL chapter! The 


	34. Free

Note: Sorry for making you all wait! To be honest I've been VERY lazy hah hah! ^^; So….whatever happened to Ian when he drove off with Diana? Did he REALLY leave the city to another state? What about Squall and Rinoa? Will they be able to find the happiness they deserve? Find out on this FINAL chapter! ^^  
  
Chapter 34 – Free  
  
"I wish I could control whatever happened," he whispered to her, raking his hands gently through her long, dark tresses. 'But fate never allows anyone to do their own bidding,' he added in his head. The figure beside him shivered, knowing that the words he had spoken had hit her rougher than he thought. Silence around the room was the only thing that calmed the both of them, but he knew that deep down inside, Rinoa Heartilly was screaming as much as she could for the daughter she just recently lost. Sighing, Squall leaned down and kissed the top of Rinoa's forehead. "I have to go, but I'll be right back soon," he spoke quietly.  
  
Rinoa nodded slowly, the first sign of life since he came to her two nights ago. She must have realized that having her unable to talk was hurting Squall a whole lot. "Okay," she replied, as simply as that. She moved slowly so that Squall could move and once he was able to get out of bed, she crawled back, moving to his spot and sighed, now sitting on her back to see him standing there.   
  
Squall leaned down and kissed her forehead and covered the blanket over her. He turned and was about to leave when he heard the dark haired young woman call his name.   
  
"Squall?"   
  
The brown haired youth stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"  
  
"He'll bring her back right?" From the way she looked at him, Squall could tell she was still holding on to that hope he thought she lost and Squall was relieved to hear those words from her own lips. It made him feel a lot more confident in whatever he was going to do.  
  
Squall nodded. "I'll make sure he will." With that said, he turned and left the room.  
  
  
  
******************  
  
He knew he was going too far. It's been two days since he lost his wife and his son over a dispute that could've led to happiness if she only allowed him to keep his other child. Diana was special to him, even though part of him felt guilty for not being there for his daughter. But what could he do when Rinoa didn't even tell him SHE had HIS child? Now thirty, Ian Adamms was on a run from the police, since he already knew from the beginning that Squall, Rinoa's boyfriend was the son of the Mayor of Seattle. He might send a squad to hunt him down and adding a commotion was not going to be good in his resume.   
  
The black BMW sped along Highway 62, a familiar route that led to the next city, towards the Oregon coast. It wasn't that long of a drive (an hour), but at least it would be far away from the city where he knew Rinoa and Squall were going to be waiting for him. Diana cried beside him and Ian quickly reached over with his one hand to rock the baby seat back and forth until she quieted down after a couple of seconds and went back to sleep. The sudden roar from a dark blue Honda's spoilers that was driving pass them, probably woke up the baby from her peaceful slumber.  
  
The road was as usual, the quietest he has ever seen it. Since it was the weekend, he figured that trailers, trucks with bikes strapped at the back and vans with camping equipment would be passing by him every second to reach the end of the road towards the camping sites and the beach area where most of the tourists come and go during the weekend. However, he was beginning to get suspicious of the fact that NONE of those vehicles could be seen around him. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a police siren nearby. Ian reached out to hold the baby seat back with one hand and pressed his foot firmly on the break, where the BMW immediately halted to a complete stop. "What the hell?" he spoke, his teeth gritting with annoyance. Ahead of him, a police car was driving on his side of the lane, towards him. Ian cursed under his breath and pulled his gear into reverse. He pressed on the gas and the car sped along backwards. The sound of the screeching tires woke Diana up from her sleep once more and the young infant opened her mouth and let out a horrific cry. Irritated, Ian glared quickly at the baby and hissed, "SHUT UP YOU STUPID BABY!!!!"  
  
Not good. The crying got louder.  
  
Suddenly, the sound of another screeching car alarmed him. Ian looked up and noticed that the police car driving towards him was speeding up to catch up to him. "Dammit!" he roared, turning the wheel at the right time so the car wouldn't fall at the side of the road. At the right moment, he turned the wheel at a 180 degree angle and the car screeched around the other way. The sirens grew louder as the police car began to tailgate him, trying to make him to stop, but Ian was too stubborn to listen. He hit the gas hard and sped along the highway, passing cars that finally showed up to confirm they were all going camping and hearing the cars honk angrily.   
  
One.   
  
Two.   
  
Three.  
  
There were three hits behind his car from the bullets that came out of the police's gun. The tires screeched and the hands that went around the wheels were swaying from side to side, just the same time as the car swayed side to side.   
  
Four.  
  
A fourth bullet had hit the back of the car, through the glass. Ian dodged that bullet just in time and what annoyed him the most was that the cop, from what he could see from his rearview mirror looked like a rookie, shot at him dangerously, knowing full well that with that action, a baby could get hurt. Ian gave the young cop the finger through the window, which triggered another shot from the cop, barely missing his hand.   
  
"YOU JACKASS!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, poking his head through the window. "You're going to hit the baby!!!!!!!!!" However, as soon as he turned his face around back towards the road in front of him, a car was coming towards him, head on. "Shit!" he swore, swerving his wheel to the right to avoid collision just in time. He passed the car just in time and the car made a complete stop behind him. Ian drove along, driving faster than the usual speed limit on the highway.   
  
  
  
****************  
  
"STOP! STOP SHOOTING YOU IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed into the black, walkie talkie in his large hand. "God! Where did you get this GUY!?" Craig said to no one in particular.   
  
Other cops around the middle aged man began to surround him, intensely listening to the car chase going on around Highway 62. One of them was Laguna Loir, who drove all the way from Washington, D.C. to Seattle to meet up with Craig Hamilton in the Seattle police department. He was an old friend of his, way back in high school and they have been keeping in contact ever since they graduated.   
  
Another shooting could be heard through the radio. Craig slammed his fist down on the table and screamed, basically spitting into the radio. "I SAID STOP IT MCNAB!"   
  
"Sorry, sir," came an answer from the radio. The young officer, twenty-three years old, was indeed a rookie. The rich son of a business man, David McNab was a force to be reckoned with. From the first moment Craig laid eyes on him, he knew he wasn't going to like the little rich kid who came out from his mother's womb spoiled and obnoxious. It wasn't luck that David got into the force so easily as soon as he graduated from the police force; it was pure bribery that got him into it. As soon as Matthew McNab offered the police chief twenty-thousand collars, he was immediately brought in as one of Hamilton's training officers. "I guess I got carried away," the young man added once more. Hamilton knew that from those words and from the tone of his voice that David McNab was mocking him.   
  
He was starting to get irritated with this boy. "Are you MOCKING me, McNab!? Don't you have ANY idea that there's a kid on board in the car you're shooting AT!?"  
  
Then there was silence. Immediately after that, there were no more sounds of shooting.  
  
'Well, how about that? Mr. Spoiled McNab has a heart after all,' Craig thought. "Come back to the station McNab and-!"  
  
"I think he's stopped, sir!" David's voice boomed through the radio. All of a sudden, they heard a car door being opened, followed by the sound of footsteps, preferably McNab's. "Hey! You in there! Step out of the car with your hands behind your back!"  
  
"MCNAB! What the hell are you doing!? Get back in your car and-!"  
  
"DAMN! He started the car again and he took off! That stubborn son of a-!" This time, the sound of gun shots could be heard, at the same time McNab's began to swear directed towards the person in the car.   
  
"STOP SHOOTING!!!!" Chief Craig Hamilton slammed another fist down on the table angrily, but the young officer did not hear a word his higher ranking officer said and could be heard jumping back into his car. The screeching of the tires confirmed those back at the station that he had taken off again after the speeding car. "MCNAB!!! You stubborn ASS!" Craig turned around and kicked a nearby chair and it flew right pass Laguna's head. Without even giving an apology, Hamilton turned back around and said, "Jamieson, go after that idiot and make him come back to the station. I need to talk to him."  
  
Michael Jamieson, a young man around the age of twenty-nine, with wavy brown hair, which kind of reminded Laguna of Squall, saluted and replied, "Yes, sir!" He turned and left for his car to fetch McNab.   
  
Laguna sighed, rubbing the top of his nose irritably and said, "Where did you get this guy, Hamilton?"  
  
Craig straightened up and shook his head. "His dad is a rich bastard who threatened to fire one of us if his son is not in the police force."  
  
"I thought you'd fall for his bribery, but I guess I was wrong," Laguna replied, patting him on the back.   
  
"Well, it was the Police Department itself who fell for that kind of trickery. I just love working here so much to risk being fired." He clenched his fists at his sides and fixed his gun on his holster. "Don't worry, Laguna, I'm going to do some talking with that kid."  
  
  
  
****************  
  
He sharply turned the corner, pressing the gas, which reached him now up to 130 km an hour, REALLY pass the speed limit. He could hear shots behind him once more, but Ian swerved left and right, using one hand to turn the wheel and the other to keep Diana steady on the seat. They were on the street now, back to the city of D.C. There were screams from people who jumped out of the way as Ian sped pass the busy street. He knew he should stop, he was violating at least fifty road rules such as running through a red light, not stopping on the intersection with the stop sign, almost running over an elderly woman as well as almost hitting another car when he decided to cut through a two way street. It was the same thing with the police car behind him and he was shocked to realize that even the young cop was risking other people's lives to catch him.   
  
Diana's cries grew more intense as the chase went on. At the bottom of Ian's insides, his gut was screaming with guilt and thoughts of 'maybe he should not have run away' or 'if Rinoa had decided to sign the paper to share custody with their child, then THIS wouldn't have happened.' Suddenly, Ian felt the car stop. Surprised even at himself, he glanced down at his right foot where it was pressed gently on the brakes. He didn't know why he did it, but….he did. "Well, wasn't that a fun ride, eh Diana?" He glanced at the baby beside him and smiled. He reached out the unbuckled the seat belt around the young infant's stomach and picked her up in his arms and began cradling her. Diana surprisingly stopped crying. Ian heard the police car behind him stop as well, followed by the door opening and closing. He kissed Diana's forehead. "At least I was able to see you one last time." With one hand, he reached over and opened the driver's side door and stepped out with Diana still in his arms.  
  
"Come out with your hands behind your back you bastard!" Officer McNab quickly ran up to him, with his hand still holding his gun and pressed the gun at his back when Ian didn't do what he was told. "I said hands behind your back!"  
  
"I can't…I AM holding a baby you know."  
  
"I don't care. Put her back inside the-!" He was interrupted when he heard the radio attached at the left side of his belt suddenly start to make an alerting sound, telling him that someone was trying to contact him.  
  
"McNab!" a voice through his radio boomed. "This is Jamieson. The chief wants you to come back to the station right away."  
  
Annoyed, McNab pressed the radio at the side of his face and said, "I caught the bastard! He violated many rules and I'm about to cuff him."  
  
"I SAID RIGHT NOW MCNAB!" Chief Craig Hamilton's voice yelled over Jamieson's. "Let Jamieson handle the guy, all right!?"   
  
McNab gritted his teeth and replied, "Yes sir. I'll wait for Jamieson here and I'll head on back." He turned off the radio and glared up at Ian, whose back was still facing him. McNab put the gun back in his holster and said, "You're lucky I'm being called back, or I would have shot you for not listening to an officer!"  
  
"Then YOU would've been arrested for shooting an innocent father," Ian replied.  
  
David McNab's eyes turned into thin slits. "Why you-!"  
  
"McNab! You caught the guy, eh?"  
  
David rolled his eyes and turned around. "Hey Jamieson, yeah I caught the guy. He violated so many driving rules, including kidnapping some woman's baby."  
  
"She's MY daughter!" Ian hissed.  
  
"Yeah well tell THAT to the court!" He turned and tossed the handcuffs to Michael Jamieson. "Good luck handcuffing him!"  
  
"Uh…yeah," Michael replied, watching the other rookie cop hop back into his car and driving off back to the police station. "I hate that guy," he said out loud once David was out of earshot.  
  
Ian gave a half-hearted laugh and continued to cradle his daughter.  
  
  
  
**************  
  
"What the hell were you doing back there, huh!? Are you trying to irritate me!?" As soon as David McNab stepped into the busy building of the police department, third floor, he was ambushed by a pair of large hands that gripped at his collar. He had stared straight into the furious eyes of Chief Craig Hamilton. "Why were you shooting at the car while I told you NOT TO!?"   
  
David didn't answer, only stared back at Craig smugly.  
  
"If something were to have happened to the baby and that man, YOUR head is on the line and I promise you…" He moved his face closer to David so that the younger man could at least smell his breath filled with coffee and bagel. "I won't be there to get you out, got that?"  
  
The young officer closed his eyes and pushed him off of him, brushing off imaginary dirt from his uniform which Craig knew he didn't deserve to wear. "Are you threatening me? My old man is the RICHEST man in this city and-!"  
  
"Wrong!" came another voice. This time, it was Craig Hamilton's long time friend, Laguna Loire, Mayor of the city. "I AM the richest one here and your father KNOWS he can't do anything if I were the one to initiate the idea of you not working in the police force any longer."  
  
David had no words to say. He was speechless.  
  
It was Craig's turn to smirk. "So you're fired, McNab. You can give me your badge and your gun now." He stuck out his hand towards David.   
  
"You…you can't do this!" the young officer said, glaring at both older men.  
  
"Well too bad because we just did," Craig said. When David didn't comply with his request to give back his badge and gun, he reached out and ripped the badge off of his uniform and grabbed the gun from his holster. "Thank you very much David McNab, now you can leave through that door over there," he added, nodding his head towards the exit.  
  
It looked like David wanted to say something, but he seemed to have changed his mind and decided instead to purse his lips. He turned and left for good. Soon after, Jamieson stepped in, holding in one arm a baby wrapped in a pink blanket, while the other was holding Ian Adamms' handcuffs. Craig nodded approvingly at Jamieson. "Good work Jamieson," he said to the rookie cop. Jamieson nodded back and walked pass his Chief, then by Laguna. Laguna stepped in front of the younger man and gave him a hard look.  
  
"You know my son's girlfriend went through hell because of you," he hissed.  
  
Ian smiled. "Well she wouldn't be if she only agreed that I could see my daughter once in a while," he said. "You can't deny that I am a good father."  
  
"I didn't say you weren't."  
  
The younger man turned away. "Then there's no point in giving me the hard time now is there?"  
  
Laguna said nothing and stepped aside to allow Jamieson and Ian through towards the cell area. The long haired man watched as Ian's retreating form disappeared around the corner.   
  
  
  
***************  
  
There was no way to describe the feeling what he was feeling now. Happiness was one of them of course. He was happy now to see Rinoa reunited with her daughter again and to see her face bright up with her own joy as she cradled Diana in her arms. "Thank you," he said to the figure behind him.   
  
"I think you should be thanking Ian," Laguna said, stepping in beside his son. "He was the one who decided to give up Diana even after that car chase he started."  
  
Squall nodded. "Maybe I should…" He kept his eyes on Rinoa, tears of joy now covering her face. She gave Diana another hug before turning to give Patti a hug as well.   
  
"So, what happens now?" Laguna suddenly asked.  
  
"Rinoa will go back to school and she decided to share custody with Ian. Ian's wife decided to come back with their son and promised to help him take care of Diana while Rinoa goes off to finish school."  
  
"That's a good bargain," Laguna replied, nodding in agreement. "But I meant…between us."  
  
"I said thank you didn't I?" Squall turned his head at his father.  
  
"Yes, yes you did." Laguna stuffed his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Well, I better get going then. I have to go back to work since I haven't been back at the office for two weeks now…." He took one more glance towards Squall before turning around to walk back into his car.  
  
"…dad?"  
  
Laguna stopped and looked at him. "Yes?"  
  
Squall turned and walked up to him, also stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Um…We're okay now," he said.  
  
"What?"  
  
The young man shrugged. "I mean…Cloud has practice tomorrow at school and you know, maybe you'd want to come and watch him play I mean…if you're not too busy-!"  
  
"I'll be there," Laguna interrupted.  
  
With this reply, Squall was surprised. "Okay…Um…I'll see you there then."  
  
Laguna shook his head and smiled. "No, I'll see you tonight at dinner."  
  
"Yeah, okay I'll see you there."  
  
"All right then." After that, he turned and left, hopping back inside his car.  
  
"Hey, Squall?" Squall turned around. Rinoa was standing there with a big smile on her face and with her hands clasped behind her back, her head tilted to the side which Squall found rather cute. "So your dad left already?"  
  
Squall nodded. "Yeah. He had to go back to work."  
  
"That's all right with you?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so."  
  
Rinoa smiled. "That's good. I wanted to say thank you to him so I guess I'll say thanks to you as well. So um…" She went on her tip toes and gave Squall a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."  
  
"Rinoa…" Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.  
  
Rinoa closed her eyes and returned his embrace. "I love you too, Squall."  
  
GoodGurl: WOOHOO! This chapter is FINALLY over! I hope you like and was quite satisfied with the ending! HEE HEE! REVIEW PLEASE! THANK YOU! ^^ 


	35. Big Brother

Author's note: Hey guys! ; sorry for making you wait this long to update on my story…well this story is about to end so I can't wait to finish it and get started on my next project which is….Millenium Day Fantasy 8! YEAY! Anyways, here it is….Zelphie FINALE! WOOHOO! So……..did they really go through with it? Find out on this chapter!  
  
Chapter 35 – Big Brother   
  
She didn't need to say anything at this point, because, as she applied her foundation on her face, the excitement building up inside her was the only thing that confirmed her feelings deep within her heart. She wanted to do this, she wanted to finish what she wished had started. To be one with Zell was the most important thing in her life right now. After everything they've gone through, it would be fair to complete the passion they had for each other. Selphie gave a wide grin as she glanced at herself in the mirror and stood up, dressed in the gown which Zell had picked for her. The design and the fabric were quite simple and anyone could have made it, but it showed who she was. She was a simple girl, after all. The brunette girl took a deep breath and went to her dresser drawer and took something out from the top drawer. She glanced at it and blushed as she ran her hand through the black, satin fabric.   
  
Suddenly, she hears a knock on the door. Selphie gasped and turned around. "Garrett!" She quickly stuffed the item in her bag and zipped it tight inside. "Don't you ever knock?"  
  
Garrett eyed her suspiciously. "I did knock."  
  
Selphie sighed. "Right."  
  
"Is something wrong? You sound nervous…" He wondered what that item Selphie was just hiding earlier and she had stuffed in her bag.   
  
"Is there something I could help you with?" There was a slight irritation in the tone of her voice, but the young brunette decided to keep herself calm so it wouldn't provoke her brother to wonder what annoyed her so much. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "I'm just nervous about tonight…I don't know, I guess it just has something to do with the fact that it's me and Zell's first night being together with our friends and all…" That was half the truth.  
  
Garrett gave a short chuckle, before inviting himself inside her room and sitting on her bed. "Well, it happens…people get nervous over these things. Besides, being nervous shows how excited you are about tonight."  
  
Selphie paused from putting her lipstick on and glanced through her mirror at her brother's form, which was now lying on the bed, his face towards the ceiling. It was like he was actually telling her an advice, which could be applied on both ways. Part of her was actually thankful he came along and told her what he just said and the rest of her…well she had no idea WHAT she felt. All she wanted to do now was head on to the dance and get this night over with. "Garrett?" She turned around and walked over to her bed and sat down beside him.   
  
"Hm?" Garrett sat up and looked at his sister.   
  
"You've dated a girl before right?"  
  
Garrett blinked. "Well, not for a while since I was in prison."  
  
"Right, but before that I'm sure you did right?" Garrett didn't say anything, which confirmed Selphie that he has. She cleared her throat and continued. "Well uh…how far have you gone with that girl you dated?"  
  
This time, Garrett lifted up an eyebrow curiously at her. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Selphie sighed, annoyed. "Can you just answer my question, please?"  
  
"Hm…I guess not that far. I've only kissed the girl up to that point and other than that…that's it and nothing else."  
  
"Oh…I see." She stood up and picked up her small duffel bag. When she turned, she noticed that Garrett was staring down at her bag curiously. "Oh, I guess only mom and dad knew that I'm sleeping over at Rinoa's tonight."  
  
Garrett nodded and stood up as well. "Well, I guess I won't be seeing you until tomorrow then, eh?" He looked at her up and down. "I can't believe you've grown up so much, even if I haven't seen you for only a year…"  
  
Selphie blushed.   
  
"Well, have fun!" He leaned over and gave Selphie a sweet hug, before turning around to leave her room. Selphie followed closely behind and Garrett led the way down the stairs. "Is Zell picking you up?" he asked, opening the door for her.  
  
Selphie nodded. "Yeah he is." She walked through the door and stopped by the doorway and glanced towards the kitchen where she could hear her mother making dinner for tonight. "Mom! I'm going! Tell dad, good night for me!"  
  
"Okay, sweetie!" Her mom yelled from the kitchen. "Have fun at the dance and at the sleepover! Don't forget to brush your teeth!"  
  
Selphie glanced at Garrett and the two shared a moment of laughter, before she waved good bye and began walking towards Zell's car, which was now parked in the empty driveway that mostly Mr. Tilmitt occupied in while off from work. Garrett watched her jump into Zell's car, while Zell waved through the window of his car towards the older man, before pulling off from the driveway and disappearing into the darkness of the street.   
  
"Garrett, sweetie, could you do me a favor and throw away the garbage for me please for tomorrow?"  
  
The young, dark haired man sighed and closed the door behind him. "Okay mom! I'll start with Selphie's room!"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He turned towards her as he parked the car in the school parking lot.   
  
She took a deep breath and nodded. Selphie reached out and placed a hand over Zell's and smiled. "I am very ready, Zell. Aren't you?"  
  
The blond nodded, although part of him was still hesitant to believe that they were actually planning on doing this. He really didn't need to be nervous, since this was Selphie! He shouldn't be nervous around Selphie! Yes, he should be happy they're doing this. "Yes, I'm ready too." Zell unlocked both sides of the door and came out of the car first, then he walked over to Selphie's side and opened her door.

There was no doubt about it…it was real. Whatever he was holding, it felt real. He wasn't dreaming at all. He held the item in his hand tighter, pinching himself a couple of times, making sure he was awake and when he felt pain…  
  
"Well uh…how far have you gone with that girl you dated?" Garrett lifted up his head and stared at the mirror in front of him, at his reflection, remembering what Selphie had told him. "I'm sleeping over at Rinoa's tonight."   
  
The brown haired man squeezed the small package in his hand and closed his eyes, trying to make sense of it all. How can a condom be in his little sister's room? Could it be that she would…? "No, it couldn't be," he said out loud. "Selphie, you wouldn't, would you?" He stood there for a good couple of minutes, turning his eyes on the picture of Selphie and Zell wedged at the left corner of her vanity mirror. There was no way Selphie would ever do such a thing…Has he been blind all this time to notice the way she looked at Zell?   
  
"Garrett! Where's the garbage you were SUPPOSED to collect?" His mother's voice boomed from downstairs. Garrett blinked and turned his head towards the opened door. "Uh…actually, mom there's something I have to do!" He stuffed the condom in his right jean pocket and ran down the stairs.   
  
"What do you have to do?" Aimee's (; AN/ I made another mistake which I didn't realize until now…Her name's actually Aimee, not Kate which I accidentally called her in Chapter 17) head popped out of the kitchen, glancing at her eldest son putting on his New York Yankees cap, with his back to her. "Where are you going?"  
  
Garrett looked over his shoulder. "I'll be right back mom, I promise and when I do, I'll pick up all the garbage." He turned and opened the door.  
  
Unsure, Mrs. Tilmitt folded her arms across her chest. "Hold it young man! What's going on?"  
  
The brown haired man froze in his step by the door. Garrett couldn't tell her. Not yet. Maybe there was still hope to keep his sister from doing something stupid. "I'm just going to step out for a while, that's all…"  
  
His mother took a deep breath and waved her hand. "All right, all right, just come back before nine."  
  
"Don't worry…I'll make sure." With those last words, he stepped out and closed the door behind him. There was going to be a LOT of talking between him and Selphie tonight.

* * *

The dance was going smoothly. Just a couple of seconds after Zell and Selphie stepped inside the gym floor, Quistis entered, but not with Seifer…with Jacque. The brunette and the blond glanced at each other and they looked back at the two. There was excitement in Quistis' eyes as she opened her mouth to say something, followed by Jacque kissing the back of her hand.   
  
"Weird…" Zell mumbled, squeezing Selphie's hand.   
  
"All right! Good evening everyone! Welcome to the annual Balamb High Spring Dance! This dance is for anyone and EVERYONE who goes to this school, but this is a lot more special since it's the last year of our seniors here in Balamb High!"  
  
Selphie and Zell looked up after a couple of cheers and claps boomed around the gymnasium and noticed Principal Belaford up on the podium, glowing with confidence. "All I have to say…good luck seniors and HAVE FUN TONIGHT!"   
  
"YEAH!" Zell's voice boomed the loudest in the crowd and he puts his fingers to his lips and whistled. Selphie giggled, looping her arm through his and looked up at him with a sweet smile. "All right dance goers, let's start this night off with a little fast music to get your heart pumpin'!"   
  
"Heh heh!" Selphie heard Zell laugh. The brown haired girl looked up at him curiously. The blond grinned and he turned to face her. Zell wrapped his arms around her waist and led her into a dance she never knew existed.   
  
Selphie smiled. "Have you been practicing in secret?"  
  
"Practicing what?" Zell twirled her around and caught her with one hand around her waist and dipped her. "I haven't been doing anything." His grin grew wider.  
  
The brunette giggled, slapping him playfully in the arm. "Silly rabbit!"

Zell laughed and kissed her.

* * *

"This has GOT to be the most annoying things I've ever done…" Garrett mumbled as he crossed the street towards the school. The front parking lot was packed now, but he could only imagine what it was like in the back of the school. A banner was hanged atop the front door of the school and as he heads down to the back door of the gymnasium, he saw a flash of grey pass by him.  
  
"I'll kill you if you do anything to her, Jacque!!!" a voice hissed.  
  
Garrett watched as a young man with blond hair began to argue with the guard by the door. He took a step forward and listened. "I need to get in there! I lost my ticket, okay!? I can't find it and now someone I care about is in there, probably being groped by another guy that I LOATHED so much! Will you PLEASE let me in!?"   
  
There was a moment of silence, before the tall guard shook his head. "Even if it's personal emergency, I still can't let you through. It's school regulations that anyone without the ticket MAY NOT enter!"  
  
"FINE! Forget it then…you lame ass…"  
  
Garrett couldn't help but snort at that last comment the blond mumbled towards the guard. As the door closed behind him, Garrett watched as the younger man began walking towards the very back of the school building. "Hey!"  
  
The blond stopped and turned to see Garrett running towards him. "What do you want?"  
  
"You know a way to get in there? If you don't, I know a couple of places where you can go to get inside easier."  
  
"I know my way, thanks…" he mumbled, before stuffing his hands in his coat pockets and walking away.   
  
"Oh all right…I guess the secret entrance has been closed off ever since I left senior year…There must be some kind of new pathway to get in there right?"  
  
Annoyed, the blond stopped again and glared over his shoulder at the older man. "You know, you're getting on my nerves, what do you REALLY want?"   
  
"I just want to know, there's no harm in that is there?" Garrett offered a hand to him. "My name is Garrett."  
  
The blond turned to face the older man and looked down at his hand. "So?"  
  
Garrett put his arm back down. "Well then…it couldn't hurt to know your name."  
  
"Seifer…" he mumbled. "If you follow me, I'm sure you can get in through the secret door that's usually left open during events like these."  
  
"Why is it left open?"  
  
The blond looked at him. "Stop asking questions and follow me." He turned around again and began walking away. Garrett blinked and did as he was told, following the tall, blond man towards the back area of the school.

* * *

Garrett was lead through a wall of corridors he never knew existed. The blond didn't lie about the door left open for him. It was directly located at the very end of the building, hidden behind some bushes very well that even with those that have eyes like a hawk wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The door was painted green just like the bushes to camouflage itself. He remembered the door completely…it was the exact same door he used to go through whenever he took time between classes to do some smoking with his friends. It was the close to his classes so it wasn't that hard for him to get there on time. He didn't recognize the corridors, but he realized when he stepped inside, that they had replaced what were once the classrooms. Seifer stopped dead on his tracks and looked ahead, pointing forward. "Through that door will be the entrance at the back of the bleachers in the gymnasium."  
  
Garrett nodded and walked pass him towards the door. Once he opened it, he was suddenly surrounded by darkness, followed by noises of students around him. Behind him, he could feel Seifer's movements as he stepped in beside him. "Well, see you later," he simply said. The blond's footsteps faded as he walked to another direction. The brunette stood there for a couple of seconds, before bravely taking the different route towards the entrance of the dance floor. He peeked through the gap of the bleachers and looked around. A girl with long dark hair stood by the punch bowl, talking amongst her friends while some sat on the benches, most of them girls, waiting to be asked to dance. Some of the other students were dancing with their dates and from out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Selphie and Zell dancing there, completely lost in each other. Taking a deep breath, Garrett stepped out from behind the bleachers and stood just beside the girl with the long dark hair.   
  
"Hi…"  
  
Garrett turned his head at the girl beside him, looking at her this time. She was a very pretty Asian girl with long dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. "Um…hello."  
  
The girl laughed. "You don't look like you're from around here."  
  
"Because I'm not," Garrett said, turning back towards the dance floor where Zell and Selphie were still dancing. "I actually graduated, or rather… ALMOST graduated two years ago."  
  
The girl tilted her head to the side curiously. "Oh? How come?"  
  
"I did some stupid things, which I regret of ever doing," he replied back. Zell leaned over and gave Selphie another kiss on the lips and he kept leaning as he whispered something in her ear which made Selphie laugh. Garrett gritted his teeth irritably. "It's because of YOU that my little sister's thinking like this!"  
  
"I'm sorry?"  
  
Garrett glanced back at the girl. "No, not you…Sorry about that. I'm talking to myself again! Hah hah!"  
  
The girl smiled. "That's all right."

"Are you ready to do this? We can leave early if you want," Zell whispered in her ear.   
  
Selphie giggled. "You REALLY can't wait can you? I know where we can go! Come on!" She removed her arms from around his neck and grabbed his hand. She looked around, making sure the Principal wasn't looking and to their luck, Principal Belaford was far too busy talking amongst one of the guys trying to spike the punch to realize what they were planning on doing.   
  
'Ah crap! They're on the move!' Garrett gripped the cup he had in his hand tighter and since it was Styrofoam, the cup burst in his hand, startling the poor girl watching him.   
  
"Are you all right?" The brunette man looked at her, quite surprised that she didn't find him weird. Instead she asked him if he was all right or not. "Uh… yeah I'm fine…thanks."  
  
The girl tilted her head cutely again to the side. "Are you sure? You don't look all right. Something's bothering you is there?"  
  
Garrett couldn't help but smile. "If there is something bothering me, I'll make sure to tell you." With that said he smiled again and waved, before turning to follow Selphie and Zell out the door.  
  
"By the way, my name's Juliet Yang," she said to herself as she watched Garrett walk out of the door towards the couple. She smiled to herself and continued to sip at her juice.

* * *

They closed the door behind them and looked around. "The nurse's office?" Zell wondered, turning around to face her.   
  
Selphie nodded and shrugged. "Well I couldn't think of anything else. This is the only place with…beds in them…" She blushed when she said those words.  
  
The blond looked down and smiled. "I guess this is it. Are you ready?"  
  
"I'm ready." She lifted her bag and fished through it to look for one of the important things they need. After a couple of seconds, she took it out and showed it to him. "I hope this is the right one."  
  
The blond approached and looked at it. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is."  
  
Selphie took a deep breath. "Thank goodness." She looked down and pressed a hand to her heart from relief and before she had a chance to say anything else, Zell had locked lips with her and began to unzip the back of her dress. "Zell…" the young brunette moaned.

* * *

He was getting irritated each moment he thinks about his little sister and Zell doing….IT! Garrett shook his head and walked down the hall. He was quite surprised how fast the two disappeared from the crowd. They couldn't have gone too far. "Dammit, Selphie! What are you thinking? And I SWEAR I'll kill HIM! Doing those things to my sister!!! UGGH!!"   
  
The protective big brother was kicking in. Despite the promise he made to Selphie that he wasn't to act all protective towards her after a certain incident that happened about a year ago, there was no helping the thought of his sister, no matter her age…doing adult things that only ADULTS are supposed to do. She was still seventeen, STILL in school and if she continues to do what she plans to do tonight, there was no doubt that he was going to let their parents know about it.   
  
Garrett slammed a fist down every door he passed and behind each door; there was no sign of the two. Then…after passing five more doors, he heard something bang against a door just two more doors away from him. He ran quickly now and without giving himself a moment to think about what to say, his rage kicked in. The brunette slammed his fists on the door and banged repeatedly. He could hear shuffling behind the locked door, followed by muffled voices. The female voice talked in a panicked tone, while the male voice seemed calm, which Garrett guessed that Zell was probably trying to calm her and assure her that everything was going to be all right. "Open this door RIGHT NOW ZELL!!!!" Garrett roared.   
  
There was a moment of silence, before he heard Selphie quietly say, "Garrett?"  
  
"Yes, it's me, you're PROTECTIVE big brother and I HAVE a reason to be protective! ESPECIALLY this night! Especially when you plan on doing something that I don't want you to do! Open the door!!!" He banged on the door a couple more times, before the door flew open to reveal a very annoyed looking little sister. However, even THAT did not stop him from looking over her shoulder at Zell and walking up to him to grab the collar of his shirt. "YOU--!!!"  
  
"Garrett!" Selphie squealed.  
  
Zell lifted up his hands defensively. "Look man, NOTHING happened! I swear to you!"  
  
Garrett turned his head at Selphie. "Is this true?"  
  
Selphie nodded. "Nothing happened, okay!? Now, can you please let him go?"  
  
Garrett took a deep breath. "Do you have any idea what would've happened if you CONTINUED with it!?"  
  
In unison, Selphie and Zell said. "I know…"  
  
Selphie's older brother paused and looked at them.  
  
"You don't think we realized that? After thinking about what would've happened, I couldn't go through with it," Zell said.  
  
Selphie grabbed his hand. "Zell was such a gentleman about it, Garrett. And if someone had to be punished, it should be me. I was the one who forced him."  
  
"Well uh….I'm glad we had this conversation…" Embarrassed about his outburst earlier, Garrett rubbed the back of his neck.   
  
"I can't believe you didn't trust me, Garrett..." Selphie suddenly said, looking at her older brother. "And I can't believe you didn't trust Zell most of all. You KNOW we grew up together!"  
  
Garrett sighed. "I was just…"  
  
"He was just worried for you, Selphie," Zell said, finishing Garrett's sentence. "And I would too if I was in his shoes. I wouldn't be able to handle it either if Isabelle was in the same situation."  
  
"Oh DUDE! Did you hear the commotion?" A couple of guys walked pass the room where the three were in. Garrett poked his head through the door and watched the two guys run down the hall and back towards the direction of the gymnasium.   
  
"Something happened?" Selphie asked.  
  
Garrett shrugged.   
  
As if they could hear a mile's away, one of the guys who passed by earlier peeked his head through the door, startling even the two guys nodded. "Yes, something DEFINITELY happened! Someone saw Jacque pulling a girl's dress down somewhere in the field!"  
  
"What?" Zell gasped.  
  
"Zell! It's Quistis!!!" Selphie squealed.

* * *

"HEY! Give me back my pictures, you jerks!" Quistis yelled, trying her best to conceal her chest with her dress.  
  
"What are you talking about, Quisty?"  
  
"They have the pictures of me in there!"  
  
Zell looked around and noticed just ahead, a figure running away, holding a camera in his hand. The blond frowned.   
  
"STOP TH-!" Selphie yelled, but she wasn't able to finish her sentence, when Zell suddenly dashed towards the figure. She watched him tackle the figure down on the ground and the camera the young man was holding fell from his hand and on to the grass.   
  
"You know, I don't like types of guys like you!" Zell whispered in the boy's ear. "COME ON!" He picked him up by the arm, practically dragging him off the ground and picked up the camera with his other hand. The boy squirmed, murmuring, "Please don't kill me, please don't kill me…"  
  
"Relax, I'm not going to kill you," Zell replied to the boy's mumbling. "The Principal will do that job." He found it enjoyable when he heard the boy gulp so deeply that anyone nearby could hear it. "Here's the sneak," he said, once they were back with everyone else.

* * *

He parked the car in the driveway and as he turned off the engine, there was immediate silence between the three of them. It had been a very eventful night. "So, Garrett, I hear you're dating Juliet now."  
  
Garrett looked at him through the rearview mirror. "She's just a friend…" Zell didn't believe that because as soon as Garrett turned away, just when he thought the blond wasn't watching, he was smiling. "Well, we better get going, Selph…we got a lot of talking to do…" He opened the door to his side and stepped out.  
  
Selphie nodded and glanced at Zell, smiling. "Yeah, we do Garrett." She leaned over and gave Zell a kiss on the cheek before opening her door to leave. The blond watched as the brother and sister made their way to the door and safely inside their home.

* * *

GoodGurl: Bah! Not much of an ending but I believe still worth reading! Heh heh! Made you ALL believe they're actually going to go through with it! NEXT would be the FINAL FINAL chapter! THE EPILOGUE!! WEEEE!!!! 


	36. The Journey Ahead Epilogue

Note: WOOHOO! I got 201 reviews!? Yeay! I was WAITING for that many reviews and I am sooo thankful to those who gave me that! Anyhoo, here is the FINAL FINAL chapter! My dear sweet Epilogue! Hey! That's a cool name! looks around, then clears her throat Anyway………….ENJOY! Oh yes, this chapter will end from the girls' POVs.  
  
**Epilogue – The Journey Ahead**

_**Selphie's POV**_  
  
So many things have happened during those months. Thoughts ran in my head, love ran in my heart and relief ran in my chest. Leaving high school was the only thing that made me worry. What was I going to do now that I was to leave the life I have known for four years? Part of me wanted to cling to that memory the first time I met my first love, and part of me wanted to run and forget the sad memories that recently came by. However, time wouldn't stop for me. It couldn't. It wanted me to move on with my life and make new ones.  
  
"Are you ready?" I looked up and smiled, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it as gently as I could. I took my time to look into those clear blue eyes and remember the joyful times we spent together. I took a long deep breath and walked down with him towards an unknown hallway.  
  
"I can't believe we're here," I gasped out loud, looking around in awe at the plastered walls filled with what seemed like signatures from the previous students who have graduated.  
  
He sighed and let go of my hand gently, examining the 'signature of walls' as I has grown accustomed to calling it and sat up straight again. "Ah!"  
  
Startled, I blinked, my heart almost leaping out of my chest. "What is it!?"  
  
He grinned and pointed to a signature just by the library entrance. "It's my dad! My dad graduated here! I didn't know he did…." He glanced back down at the name and smiled proudly at it.  
  
I have never seen him so proud as I watched him. At first I thought he has lost all his memories about his parents, especially his dad, but it was a good thing he hadn't forgotten. That was what made me love him even more. I smiled and grabbed his hand gently once more to assure him that not everyone had left him…that I was still here for him. And he knew as he squeezed my hand back. "My Aunt told me that my dad also had an injury while playing football and couldn't play for a year. So I guess that makes us even."  
  
"I guess so," I whispered, smiling at him.  
  
"Hey! You two!" The two of us turned and glanced behind us to find my big brother carrying a large box marked, 'Selphie's clothes.' I grinned, a sweat dropping nervously from the sides of my face. "Do you expect me to carry all this stuff for you!?" There was irritation in Garrett's voice but I knew he was more than happy to help us out move to our new dorms.  
  
Zell grinned, walking over to Garrett and taking the surprisingly heavy box from the older man. When the blond began to carry it in his arms, he suddenly realized how heavy it was as he glanced at me. "What the hell is in this box!?"  
  
Garrett winced, stretching out his arms from carrying the box all the way from Zell's car to the building. "Apparently, Selphie's clothes…" he mumbled. He went back outside to the car once more and came back a few minutes later with my luggage.  
  
I smiled. "Oh come off it! You two are strong! I mean you don't expect me to leave ALL my clothes at home do you!? Besides…I need all of them!" My boyfriend seemed to have figured out that I have grown into a woman because he didn't say another word after that as I lead him and Garrett down the hall to the girl's dorm room.  
  
It took me a moment to pry the two boys' eyes away from girls who would leave their rooms with just towels around their bodies asking for deodorant from other rooms before we finally made it to mine. I opened the door and was shocked to see Quistis sitting on one of the bed closest to the window, going through her things. "Quisty!?"  
  
The blond girl looked up, looking as shocked as me. "Selphie!?"  
  
"Oh my goodness!!!!" I yelped, running up to her and giving her a crazy hug, which I was used to doing to people whom I haven't seen for all of the summer. I could hear Zell dropping my heavy box down, followed by another dropping of something on the ground, which told me was my older brother lazily putting my luggage on floor. "Are you going to be my roommate!?"  
  
Quistis smiled. "I guess so."  
  
I nodded and glanced down at her things she still needs to put away and noticed a picture of her and Seifer with one arm around her waist. Beneath this framed picture were letters addressed to her and some that were addressed to him. "How is he doing?" I suddenly asked, picking up the picture from the box.  
  
The blond girl didn't seem to be surprised that I had done this, because, after all, she had become my best friend. We kept in touch for the whole summer of course, but other times we were too busy to even bother to call each other during the last two months. "Oh, he's fine. He got into that school he's always wanted, but he won't be starting until October 1st…"  
  
"What happened? Why so late?" I asked without thinking as I watched Zell from the corner of my eye looking out the window. My big brother came back inside the room with the second set of boxed clothes, which I didn't even realize he went to get.  
  
"He told me that something came up with the person teaching the class so they had to put it off for a month or so. Seifer's going to spend the whole month here and visit me during the week, so we'll be spending all that time together."  
  
I smiled, happy for the change in Quistis. Ever since she started dating Seifer Almasy, she seemed quite happier and content with herself. It was nice to know that she had a 'Knight in shining armor' coming down to visit her. It was sweet that even if Seifer was all the way in San Francisco right now, pursuing the career in Engineering, they loved each other more. I realized that their feelings grow deeper during a long distance relationship. "You must be really excited about it!" I took the liberty to look through the letters, in which Quistis didn't mind either because she knew I wasn't the type to brag about stuff.  
  
The blond girl blushed. "Of course." She watched me go through one letter from Seifer and began reading it. It was the most recent one from him, just about a week ago. It was the sweetest letter I have ever read and I couldn't help but blush at the wonderful words Seifer said to her.  
  
"That's everything…Do you still need us or what?" I looked up, still enthralled by Seifer's sweetness and glanced at the two boys standing by the door now. Grinning, I handed the letter back to Quistis and stood up, giving my big brother a hug first, before saying good bye and then to Zell.  
  
"Are you going to come visit me once in a while?"  
  
"Hah hah! Very funny Selph! Now, I better go…" He gave me a kiss on the nose, turned and left. "See you in a few hours!" he said as he waved.  
  
Oh! Did I forget to mention that Zell and I have entered the same college together?

* * *

_**Quistis' POV**_It took me a while to register that he was no longer staying here in Seattle, but I have grown accustomed to him telling me all sorts of bad news. He had asked me whether I was fine with this and all I could do was nod at him and give him a smile that gave off the lie in my heart. Seifer knew I wasn't, but he just embraced me anyway, hoping it would go away. I knew I couldn't stop him from pursuing his career…I wouldn't want to be the one to keep him from reaching out to his dreams. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him, wishing this was all a dream.  
  
"I'll write to you everyday, I promise," he whispered to me.  
  
I felt comfort from those words because I knew they were the truth. And when the time came for him to leave, it was those last hours of being with him that truly hit me. There were never ending tears falling from my eyes in which Seifer tried so hard to wipe away. "Hey, what did I tell you before? I promised I'd write didn't I?"  
  
I just smiled and nodded. "I know…but I can't help it." I leaned my head against his chest and just allowed him to put his arms around me once more. It was a wonderful feeling – to love someone who loved you back.  
  
And he was gone…  
  
Summer wasn't the same without him. I spent two months writing to him everyday, wondering what he was up to, whether, in a joking way, he met a nice girl there. He replied, in a joking manner that he did. She's a lot older though, he wrote. I don't think she's the right one for me. Besides – I already found the right person for me and she's reading this right now…Just reading from his letters made me cry. Even if I couldn't hear his voice, even if I couldn't see his handsome face, the letters made us feel closer.  
When the middle of October came, I had found myself in the same situation as Seifer…packing all the important things into bags and boxes and leaving behind the room I have known to cherish and love. Aunt Charlotte and Travis both gave me a hug good bye, but not before Charlotte handed me a letter from Seifer that arrived this morning. Her excuse for not handing it to me was because she thought I was far too busy with packing all my stuff, but I knew she just wanted to read it herself. I could tell by the way the envelope was re-licked to hide the fact that she DID read it.  
  
I shrugged it off anyway and hitched a ride on a taxi towards Balamb University. Along the way, I reopened the letter from Seifer and read it inside the taxi. I wasn't prepared for the letter that Seifer had given me because it wasn't like him to write something so sweet and --- poetic.  
  
_Dear Quistis,  
  
Do you believe that there are Angels?  
  
It is said that there are angels in Heaven above _

_And they shine with light of an inner love  
  
Of these things I had not a clue _

_But that was before I found you  
  
For in you I've found a love that is so right _

_It shines all around with the brightest of light  
  
It comes from somewhere so deep within _

_That it has no beginning and knows no end  
  
Your love is a light that brightens each day _

_Of all the people you see on your way  
  
Wherever you go or whatever you do _

_All see the love that you have inside you  
  
That God sent you here to a place where you'd be _

_Sharing such love with someone like me  
  
Is proof for me that angels exist _

_And are filled with love that no man can resist  
  
I thank God each day for finding the time _

_For looking down on me and making you mine  
  
So yes there are Angels in heaven above _

_I know because God sent me one to love…  
  
I love you Quistis Trepe… (BTW: I didn't write this poem…I thought it'd be something you'd like to hear from me for once! XD)  
  
Sincerely your hunk,  
  
Seifer  
_  
I read and reread the letter so many times, not even realizing that a tear had fallen from my eyes and was smiling at the same time. He made me laugh, a familiar personality in which he shared with only me and no one else. With other people, Seifer Almasy was not that familiar with making jokes or laughing out loud in front of his or my friends.  
  
"Miss?" I looked up from my letter towards the taxi driver's rearview mirror. He gave me a slight smile, nodding towards the destination. I turned my head and looked out the window.  
  
We were finally here…  
  
The building stood tall and somewhat overwhelming, but this was now a reminder for me that it was time for me to move on with my life and continue pursuing the career I have always dreamed of.  
  
Being a lawyer…  
  
"Thank you," I said to the driver as I handed him the tip. The driver gave me another nod and got out of the taxi to help me get the luggage out of the trunk. I stepped out and the driver handed me my backpack and finally my luggage.  
  
It was a new life for me now.  
  
But Seifer…you made it better.  
  
I adjusted my backpack on my back and grabbed the handle of my luggage and stepped towards my future.

* * *

_**Rinoa's POV**_

She was four now and I had to be prepared for her to look like her father – a man I knew I would never see again. She had his eyes, his hair and his smile. It was the same thought that ran in my head two years ago.  
  
The door swung open and I lifted up my head to see him walking towards me. He gave me a slight smile, which he wasn't used to yet and sat down beside me. "He agreed," he said, placing a hand on mine that was resting on my lap.  
  
My heart made a giant leap from its spot and I glanced down at the item wrung around my middle finger. This was it…the largest step I have ever taken from everything else. "Are you sure you want to do this, Squall?" I asked him. Even I wasn't sure, but I loved him. He said he would take care of me and from the way he looked at me I knew I had found the one man who would be the father to my child.  
  
Squall blinked, as if what I had said had marked me insane, but he just smiled anyway and wrapped his arms around me. I wasn't sure how Ian would react to this news when Squall decided to speak to him about the proposal, but once Squall got out of the room his eyes told me it had gone well than I thought it would be. His embrace was the definite answer that, 'yes' he was sure of the journey that we were about to embark.  
  
I felt something moving to my left and noted to myself that my Diana had awaken from her nap. She opened her deep blue eyes towards me and called out my name. I smiled and caressed her cheek and her dark hair and looked back up at Squall. "Are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
Squall stood up and went over to the other side of Diana and picked her up in his arms. My little girl wasn't sure who this man was, but she felt too comfortable to even bother guessing as she laid her head down on his shoulder and went back to sleep.  
  
He was ready…  
  
For OUR journey ahead.

* * *

GoodGurl: Wooh! Finished! FINALLY! I hope you enjoyed yourselves reading this story! I hope to hear from you more on my next story….which is now a Millenium version of Final Fantasy 8! Please review! Thank you for those who made this story possible! hugs and kisses TO YOU ALL! 


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